FOREX-Dollar off lows before US jobs report but still captive to US election woes

* Dollar climbs off lows versus euro, yen ahead of US jobs report

* Trump election risk to cut short any dollar gains on jobs report

* Sterling stands tall after rallying on High Court Brexit ruling

By Shinichi Saoshiro

TOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - The dollar inched off recent lows against its major peers ahead of the U.S. non-farm payrolls report due later in the day, but remained captive to jitters over a tightening U.S. presidential election race.

The dollar index was steady at 97.174 after crawling up from a three-week low of 97.041 seen overnight.

The index was on track to fall about 1.2 percent this week as Democrat Hillary Clinton's lead over Republican Donald Trump in the polls has appeared to dwindle following the re-emergence of a controversy over her private email server.

The currency market, with much of its focus on the Nov. 8 election and having paid scant attention to key events like the Federal Reserve policy decision earlier in the week, was due to face the U.S. non-farm payrolls report due later on Friday.

Clinton is viewed as a candidate of the status quo, while there is much more uncertainty over Trump's stance on key issues including foreign policy, trade and the economy.

"The market is likely to greet a strong payrolls report with a straight forward enough response and bid the dollar higher. But the rise could fade quickly amid the 'Trump risk' woes," said Junichi Ishikawa, senior FX strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo.

Any rise in the dollar right now will provide an opportunity for participants who have been caught long on the dollar and want to square their positions, Ishikawa said.

Economists polled by Reuters are looking for non-farm employment to have risen by 175,000 in October from 156,000 in September.

An upbeat jobs report is expected to increase hopes for a December U.S. interest rate hike, which usually pushes U.S. yields higher and supports the greenback.

The dollar inched up 0.15 percent to 103.120 yen, having clawed higher from a one-month low of 102.55 struck overnight.

It has fallen 1.6 percent this week from well above 105.00 as polls showed Trump was closing the gap with Clinton and even pulling slightly ahead in a few states.

The yen, along with other perceived safe-havens like the Swiss franc, has benefited this week as Trump risk jitters have created a risk off mood in the global markets.

The euro was flat at $1.1100, having pulled back from a three-week high of $1.1126 touched the previous day. It was en route for a 1 percent weekly gain.

Sterling nudged up 0.1 percent to $1.2477 after rallying 1.3 percent overnight to a four-week peak after the country's High Court ruled that the government needed parliamentary approval to trigger procedures to leave the European Union, easing Brexit fears for the time being.

The Australian dollar was little changed at $0.7686 , on track to rise 1.2 percent this week. The Aussie was boosted earlier this week after the country's central bank kept steady on monetary policy and provided no easing bias.

(Editing by Kim Coghill)

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