WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--The New Zealand dollar remained under pressure late Thursday as traders sold the kiwi in preference of the Australian dollar, after Australian employment data met expectations. "It was treated as confirmation that Aussie unemployment data has peaked," said Bank of New Zealand forex strategist Mike Jones. "It wasn't too far off what markets were expecting, and so really it is another excuse for people to sell the kiwi dollar," he added. Jones said the New Zealand-Australian dollar cross rate was providing direction for the New Zealand dollar as a whole. The kiwi also weakened against the U.S. dollar after the release of the data. Jones reckons the kiwi will unlikely be affected by interest rate announcements from the Bank of England and the European Central Bank due later in the day. "It should be fairly uneventful as both are expected to keep rates on hold. They are both playing a bit of a waiting game." Instead, he said the focus is back on Greece as concerns over its sovereign debt seem to have "flared up" again. "I think we are likely to see the euro remain fairly heavy and that will provide a drag for the other major currencies." Rabobank said in an analyst note that the New Zealand dollar continued to track sideways against the U.S. dollar at around $0.7000, but "as markets pare back OCR (official cash rate) tightening expectations this year, the New Zealand dollar should weaken against the U.S. dollar and slip convincingly below the 0.7000 mark." The bond market was trading slightly lower, while interest rate swaps rallied following the Australian market's lead, said a local bond trader. He added the government's tender of treasuries due May 2021 saw moderate bid interest and was in line with last week's bond tender. The government sold NZ$50 million ($35.3 million) of May 2021 bonds with an average weighted yield of 5.99%.

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