EUR/GBP extends losses to near 0.8250 following UK jobs data

• EUR/GBP depreciates after the release of the UK employment report.
• The UK ILO Unemployment Rate remained unchanged at 4.3% in the three months to October, as expected.
• ECB President Lagarde indicated that the central bank is prepared to cut rates further if disinflation remains on track.

EUR/GBP extends its losses for the second successive session, trading around 0.8260 during the early European hours on Tuesday. The EUR/GBP cross faces challenges as the Pound Sterling (GBP) recovers its losses after the release of UK jobs data.

The UK ILO Unemployment Rate stayed unchanged at 4.3% in the three months to October, the data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed on Tuesday. The reading matched the market estimate of 4.3% in the reported period. Meanwhile, Employment Change reported the number of employed individuals rose by 173,000, against the previous 253,000 increase. Moreover, Claimant Count Change reported 0.3K jobless benefits claims for November, drastically lower than the expected 28.2K.

Traders will shift their focus toward the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation figures on Wednesday, ahead of the Bank of England's (BoE) rate decision on Thursday. The BoE is widely expected to maintain interest rates, with an anticipated eight-to-one vote split, as one notably dovish policymaker is likely to support a rate cut.

On Monday, ECB President Christine Lagarde spoke at the Annual Economics Conference, indicating that the ECB is prepared to cut rates further if incoming data confirm that disinflation remains on track. Lagarde also signaled a shift in policy stance, noting that the previous bias toward maintaining "sufficiently restrictive" rates is no longer warranted.

Data showed on Monday that Eurozone PMI figures exceeded expectations in December; however, Services PMI surveys remain in contraction territory amid growing concerns about a deepening economic slowdown in Europe, which continues to weigh on investor and business sentiment. Traders are expected to focus on mid-tier German data, including December's Business Climate and Current Assessment reports from the CESifo Group.