* Canadian dollar at C$1.3021, or 76.80 U.S. cents
* Loonie hit strongest since April 1 at C$1.2997
* Bond prices lower across the maturity curve
By Fergal Smith
TORONTO, April 8 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar
strengthened to a one-week high against its U.S. counterpart on
Friday, with investor optimism buoyed by stronger-than-expected
Canadian jobs data and a rally in oil prices.
The economy created 40,600 jobs in March, far surpassing
economists' expectations for 10,000, and driven by a 35,300
increase in full-time jobs. The unemployment rate declined to
7.1 percent, its lowest since December.
"Canada is getting some positive benefits at least from a
very diversified economy," said Sebastien Lavoie, assistant
chief economist at Laurentian Bank.
The implied probability of a Bank of Canada interest rate
cut this year dropped to 12 percent from 20 percent before the
report. It was more than 50 percent a little more than one month
ago. BOCWATCH
Still, economists doubted the report would trigger a hawkish
response from the Bank of Canada at next week's interest rate
announcement.
Oil prices rose, lifted by fresh hopes over a proposed
freeze in oil production and firm economic indicators from the
United States and Germany that boded well for fuel demand. O/R
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were up 5.29 percent at $39.23 a
barrel.
At 9:50 a.m. EDT (1350 GMT), the Canadian dollar CAD=D4
was trading at C$1.3021 to the greenback, or 76.80 U.S. cents,
stronger than Thursday's close of C$1.3144, or 76.08 U.S. cents.
The currency's weakest level was C$1.3155, while it touched
its strongest since April 1 at C$1.2997.
A report from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp showed
the seasonally adjusted annualized rate of housing starts fell
to 204,251 units in March from an upwardly revised 219,077 units
in February. Forecasters had expected 190,000 starts.
Canadian government bond prices were lower across the
maturity curve, with the two-year CA2YT=RR price down 6.5
Canadian cents to yield 0.559 percent and the benchmark 10-year
CA10YT=RR falling 38 Canadian cents to yield 1.209 percent.
Canada-U.S. bond spreads moved higher as Canadian government
bonds underperformed.
The two-year spread rose 1.7 basis points to -15.2 basis
points, its least negative since October, while the 10-year
spread rose 1.6 basis points to -50.6 basis points, its least
negative since May.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)