American focus: the euro fell to an 11-year low against the yen

The euro fell to an 11-year low against the yen and the weakest level in 15 months versus the dollar on concern Europe’s debt crisis is worsening and as reports showed the U.S. labor market is strengthening. The 17-nation currency weakened against most major peers after France’s borrowing costs rose at a bond sale today as credit-rating companies threaten to cut the nation’s top AAA ranking.

The dollar extended gains versus the euro after ADP Employer Services reported U.S. companies added 325,000 workers in December, beating the highest projection in a Bloomberg News survey and following a revised 204,000 gain the prior month. The median estimate was for a gain of 178,000. A government report tomorrow will show U.S. nonfarm payrolls swelled by 150,000 positions last month, compared with 120,000 in November, according to another Bloomberg survey.

The Australian dollar fell against its U.S. counterpart after a report showed the nation’s trade surplus (AUITGSB) unexpectedly narrowed in November as shipments abroad of resources slowed.

Canada’s dollar slid to a one-week low versus its U.S. counterpart as crude oil fell and rising bond yields in France, Spain and Italy signaled renewed concern some euro-area nations may struggle to fund themselves.

The Canadian currency fell as much as 1 percent as North American equities dropped, making higher-yielding assets less attractive to investors. The nation’s employers added 20,000 jobs in December after net losses in the previous two months, according to economists before tomorrow’s jobs report.