The euro is up against the dollar after disappointing reports on U.S. jobless claims and downbeat forecasts from retailers.
The 16-nation currency bought $1.2342 in early Friday trading, up from $1.2332 in late trading in New York the previous day.
Weighing on the U.S. currency are reports from Thursday out of Washington that jobless claims are still above levels that would indicate more people are getting hired and a 1.1 percent drop in orders for big-ticket goods.
In other currencies, the British pound continued its rise, to $1.4958 from $1.4937, while the Japanese yen was down to 89.51 from 89.60 yen.
