Gold retreated as the dollar pushed higher and investors booked profits after a five-day rally that saw it reach fresh records. Traders also sought clues on the US economy as the government shutdown delayed key data.
In the absence of a weekly initial jobless claims report from the government, data from a private outplacement firm got more attention than usual. US employers dialed back hiring plans in September and announced fewer job cuts, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.