Gold August futures opened sharply higher Monday as softer-than-expected U.S. employment figures boosted safe-haven demand.
Gold August futures (GC=F) opened at $4,187.50 per troy ounce on July 6, 2026, a 1.5% increase from Thursday’s close of $4,125.70. By 8:10 a.m. ET, prices had slipped to $4,165.80 as the U.S. dollar regained ground.
The rally followed a weaker-than-expected June jobs report, where only 57,000 jobs were added—far below the 100,000+ consensus. Unemployment fell to 4.2%, down from 4.3%. The U.S. Dollar Index declined post-report, reducing the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like gold.
Gold’s one-week performance stands at +3.2%, though it remains down 6.4% over the past month. Year-over-year, prices have surged 24.6%, a sharp slowdown from January’s 95.6% annual gain.