Gold price hits fresh record; jobs data among key factors behind rally

Gold prices soared to a record high of $3,636.69 an ounce on Monday, driven by soft U.S. labor data fueling expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. The anticipation of lower rates, coupled with a weaker dollar and strong central bank buying, particularly from China, has propelled gold's impressive gains this year. Investors are now closely watching upcoming U.S.