The US economy continued to create jobs at a solid pace in August, but wages growth slowed and the unemployment rate ticked up surprisingly, adding to tentative signs of a slight cooling off of the labor market.

New orders for U.S.-manufactured goods unexpectedly fell in July, weighed down by a plunge in defense aircraft bookings, but the overall manufacturing industry remains resilient.

President Joe Biden said on Friday that there are some signs that inflation may be easing, as he responded to the Labor Department's report that jobs increased by 315,000 last month.

Japan's services sector activity shrank for the first time in five months in August as a resurgence of COVID-19 infections hurt demand, a business survey showed.

South Korea's finance minister said on Monday that the authorities would take action in a pre-emptive manner if necessary to stabilise local financial markets, where volatility has increased due to external factors.

The U.S. dollar touched a new 20-year high against a basket of currencies on Monday, benefiting from weakness in the euro amid a worsening energy crisis, while investors continued to bet on more interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.