Not notified about possible leaks of job numbers: Flaherty

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he has not been notified about possible leaks of monthly unemployment numbers, which may have prompted trading on the Canadian dollar before Statistics Canada released them.

At a news conference in Hamilton on Friday, Flaherty said he would be concerned if there were leaks, but he was not aware of any such concerns.

He said he's informed of job numbers before they are made public, but he keeps those figures confidential.

A sharp early rise in the currency prompted Statistics Canada to investigate whether its data may have leaked before being officially released at 7 a.m. ET on Friday.

The loonie spiked by almost three-quarters of a cent in thin trading during the hour before the release. A spokesman said the agency was examining its procedures.

The finance minister wouldn't say whether his department would be involved in any investigation launched by Statistics Canada.