USD/JPY tilted lower in Asian trade off late December highs for the fifth session out of eight, following earlier data from Japan and ahead of a slew of US data later today.
As of 06:15 GMT, USD/JPY barely inched down to 108.87, with an intraday low at 108.73, and a high at 108.97.
Earlier Japanese data showed the unemployment rate down to 2.4% in December from 2.5%, while the manufacturing PMI fell to 50.3 from 52.6. in December.
US Data
Now markets await a basket of US data, with the unemployment rate expected the same at 3.9%, while average wages are expected with a 0.3% increase, down from 0.4%.
The US economy is expected to have added 165 thousand jobs last month, down from 312K in December, while the ISM manufacturing PMI is estimated at 54.1, same as before.
US construction spending is estimated with a 0.2% increase, while the UoM consumer sentiment survey is expected with a dip to 90.7 from 98.3.
Concerns are growing over the US economy after the Federal Reserve's policy meeting included no hints at rate hikes in 2019 until the economic picture clears with data.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell asserted the US economy is still in a good position, but policymakers need to ascertain the signals coming from financial markets before taking another move.