The dollar remained firm early on Wednesday, after a report on private-sector employment showed companies shed 522,000 jobs in January. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. unit against a basket of six major currencies, stood at 85.721, compared with 85.812 ahead of the data. Late on Tuesday, the dollar index stood at 84.795. The U.S. unit, which has tended to serve as a safe-haven currency in recent months, gained overnight after Russia saw its long-term foreign and local currency ratings downgraded by Fitch.
