EURGBP keeps the red post-UK employment details, holds above mid-0.8700s

• EURGBP comes under some selling pressure on Tuesday, though the downside remains cushioned.
• The mixed UK employment figures reaffirm further BoE rate hikes and underpin the British Pound.
• Talks for a more aggressive tightening ECB  benefit the shared currency and lend support to the cross.

The EURGBP cross extends the previous day's modest pullback from the 0.8820-0.8830 resistance zone and edges lower through the early European session on Tuesday. The cross remains on the defensive around the 0.8770-0.8765 region and moves little following the release of the latest UK employment details.

The UK Office for National Statistics reported that the jobless rate unexpectedly ticks higher to 3.6% during the three months to September from 3.5% previous. Adding to this, the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits came in at 3.3K against consensus estimates pointing to a fall of 12.6K. The disappointment, however, was offset by stronger wage growth figures.

In fact, the Average Earnings Excluding Bonuses rose to 5.7% from 5.5%, beating estimates for an uptick to 5.6%. The data reaffirms market bets for a further policy tightening by the Bank of England, which is seen offering some support to the British Pound. That said, a modest pickup in demand for the shared currency acts as a tailwind for the EURGBP cross and limits the downside.

Against the backdrop of talks for a more aggressive policy tightening by the European Central Bank (ECB), the emergence of fresh selling around the US Dollar offers support to the Euro. This, in turn, warrants some caution before placing aggressive bearish bets around the EURGBP cross and positioning for any further intraday losses ahead of the German ZEW Economic Sentiment.

Technical levels to watch