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The Canadian dollar was easily the strongest currency of the day, rallying more than 2 percent against the British pound and Japanese yen, as data from the nation was broadly better-than-expected. The Canadian net employment change rose significantly more than projected in September, reflecting a net gain of 36,000 jobs that brought the unemployment rate down to 8.4 percent from 8.7 percent. A breakdown of the report showed a surge in goods-producing, full-time positions, creating some upside potential for consumption in coming months. Likewise, the Bank of Canada's survey of business executives showed that they were more optimistic on conditions over the next year in Q3, as 69 percent said they expected growth to quicken, while 16 percent expected it to slow. Likewise, the Senior Loan Officer Survey (SLOS) showed that, on balance, there was a further tightening in lending conditions, but it was the lowest since the start of the global financial crisis. On the other hand, the Canadian trade balance fell further to a record low of -C$1.985 billion in August from -C$1.316 billion as exports to the US slumped 3.2 percent while shipments to the European Union contracted by 6.6 percent, suggesting demand in the regions remains lackluster.