(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-28 14:00

NEW YORK - The dollar fell against the euro and other major currencies in thin trading on Thursday, following disappointing American economic data and the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

The US Commerce Department reported Thursday that orders for durable goods increased by just 0.1 percent last month, much lower than the 2.2 percent growth economists had expected.

The Labor Department reported that more people signed up for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the job market is softening as the economy loses speed.

The assassination of Bhutto appeared to contribute to market nervousness, adding to dollar selling.

Investors bought safe-haven assets such as gold and the Swiss franc on fears that Bhutto's death could spark Pakistan's instability and more regional chaos.

The 13-nation euro bought 1.4627 dollars in late New York trading, up from Wednesday's 1.4500 dollars. The British pound also rose to 1.9958 dollars from 1.9836 dollars.

The US currency dipped to 113.69 Japanese yen from 114.26 yen, fell to 1.1386 Swiss francs from 1.1503 francs and edged up to 1.0197 Canadian dollars from 1.0194 in the previous session.