ADP Employer Services gauge showed a shocking -693K contraction in employment versus estimates of -495K in job losses. The news sent the dollar tumbling against euro with the pair hitting 1.3737 in post release trade. The ADP figures confirmed the dollar bears worst nightmare nearly hitting the -700K barrier suggesting that the US labor situation has deteriorated significantly over the past month.

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that January was another month of massive job losses. For the third time in a row, more than 500k Americans lost their jobs. The market was looking for payrolls to drop by 540k, but instead they fell by a whopping 598k (Instant Insight on January Non-Farm Payrolls). Yet, currencies and equities traded like non-farm payrolls increased rather than decreased but this baffling response to a very negative number can be easily explained by the prospect of help from Washington.

Euro, pound and Aussies were all higher at the start of European trade boosted by improved sentiment towards risk as equity markets across the region rallied by more than 1.5% starting the third day of the week on a somewhat brighter note. Part of the reason for today’s optimism has to do with reports that President Obama’s stimulus plan has a provision to establish a “bad bank” that would acquire up to $1 Trillion worth of toxic US assets.

The euro staged a strong rebound in early European trade this morning rising all the way above the 1.3600 handle, but news of greater than expected job losses in Germany halted the advance at that level for the time being. The rally in the pair started in Asia as bargain hunters reemerged near the 1.3500 figure attracted to the relative value in the pair after three straight days of selling. The push higher caught the shorts by surprise and EUR/USD quickly ran through the 1.3600 barrier after triggering a slew of stops.