Employment numbers this week should highlight again a conundrum vexing economists and policymakers alike: there are plenty of jobs, but not enough work.

The ASX ended a week dominated again by worries about North Korea with a loss, while the Australian dollar hit to a two-year high.

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The Australian dollar hit two-year highs against its US counterpart this week, a handy boost to Aussies looking to buy overseas goods or holiday abroad this summer.

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The event of the night, of course, belonged to the ECB, but the central bank meeting kept to a consensus script and didn't move markets.

The ASX ended little changed on Thursday, as solid early gains evaporated along with fresh developments around North Korea and Hurricane Irma.

The Bank of Canada's second rate hike in three months may provide the blueprint for monetary policy tightening in an era of stubbornly low inflation.