TORONTO – The Canadian dollar was higher Friday as job creation for September narrowly beat modest expectations and the unemployment rate fell to the lowest level since December 2008.

The loonie was ahead 0.09 of a cent to 96.28 cents US as Statistics Canada said job creation came in at 11,900 last month while the jobless rate fell 0.2 of a point to 6.9 per cent as fewer young people looked for work. Economists had been looking for the economy to have created about 10,000 jobs, after cranking out almost 60,000 in August.

Financial markets were primarily focused on negotiations aimed at extending the U.S. debt limit.

Equity markets staged a strong relief rally Thursday after Republican House Speaker John Boehner proposed extending the debt limit through Nov. 22, conditioned on President Barack Obama agreeing to negotiate over spending cuts and the government shutdown.

The president conferred Thursday with Boehner and other GOP House leaders. They reported no agreement but said talks would continue.

Obama plans a White House meeting with GOP senators on Friday. Senate Republicans say they want to discuss ideas for ending the partial U.S. government shutdown and debt limit standoff.

Oil prices fell with the November crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange down $1.12 to US$101.89 a barrel.

December copper was down a penny at US$3.24 a pound while December gold bullion faded $32.90 to US$1,264 an ounce.