Oil prices fell today on concerns that disappointing US employment data will weigh on demand in the world's largest economy.
A barrel of US "light" oil (WTI) for February delivery fell 35 cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange to $92,37 per barrel, while the same amount of Brent North Sea oil on the London market cost $107,07. that is, 18 cents less than at the end of last week's business, France Press reports.
The US economy added just 74.000 new jobs in December, the fewest in three years, but the overall unemployment rate continued to fall, falling to 6,7 percent from 197.000 percent in November. The level of employment, a closely watched indicator of the health of the economy, significantly fell short of analysts' expectations, which predicted XNUMX new jobs.
Last month's unemployment rate of 6,7 percent was the lowest since October 2008, but the drop in unemployment occurred primarily because many Americans stopped looking for work, and the government only counts citizens who are actively looking for work as unemployed. The health of the US economy is a key factor affecting crude oil prices, as the US is the world's largest oil consumer.
Oil prices are under pressure even after the representatives of the international community last night successfully concluded the talks on the implementation of the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. Under the earlier agreement, Iran pledged to scale back its uranium enrichment program to dispel suspicions that it intends to build nuclear weapons, in return for sanctions relief.
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