TOKYO, Jan 6 ― Asian equities gained today while the dollar hovered near a one-month high as investors braced for crucial US jobs data later in the day that should provide clues on how aggressive the Federal Reserve will be in tightening policy.

Japan's Nikkei rose 0.39 per cent, while South Korea's Kospi jumped 0.77 per cent. Australia's stock benchmark was 0.56 per cent higher.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rallied 0.6 per cent, although mainland blue chips were flat in early trading.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares added 0.29 per cent, putting it on track for a 1.55 per cent advance for the first week of 2023, its best weekly performance in a month.

US E-mini stock futures ticked up 0.35 per cent, pointing to a small bounce after the 1.16 per cent overnight slide for the S&P 500.

Wall Street sold off amid worries that a robustness in the jobs market would keep the Fed raising rates for longer, after data released on Thursday showed a bigger than expected rise in private payrolls and a drop in jobless claims.

"There is concern that the labour market isn't showing any signs of cooling,” putting financial markets "very much on edge”, said Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG.

"But the important one is going to be tonight, and I don't think the bogey man is going to be in the cupboard with tonight's number.”

According to a Reuters survey of economists, non-farm payrolls are forecast to show today that 200,000 jobs were created in December, easing from November's 263,000 pace.

US two-year Treasury yields spiked to a more than two-month high of 4.497 per cent overnight but eased to 4.460 per cent in Tokyo. The 10-year yield, which rose as high as 3.784 per cent in New York, dropped to 3.726 per cent.

The US currency remained elevated versus major peers today. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six counterparts including the euro and yen, was trading little changed at 105.11 after jumping 0.91 per cent overnight and touching 105.27 for the first time since December 8.

The dollar index is up 1.57 per cent this week, putting it on course to snap a streak of three losing weeks. It is shaping up for the best performance since late September.

The greenback added 0.27 per cent to ¥133.755, taking it back towards yesterday's one-week high of 134.045.

The euro edged 0.09 per cent higher to US$1.05295 (RM4.61), but remained close to the overnight low of US$1.0515, a level last seen on December 12.

Crude oil rose, extending gains from Thursday after data showed lower fuel inventories.

Brent crude futures were last 79 cents, or 1 per cent, higher at US$79.48 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 80 cents, or 1.1 per cent, at US$74.47 a barrel. ― Reuters