US copper futures steadied at slightly lower levels early on Friday, despite disappointing employment data that showed the unemployment rate rose above 10 percent for the first time in more than 26 years. Copper for December delivery down 1.55 cents at $2.9415 a lb by 10:45 am EST (1545 GMT) on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division.
Range from $2.9250 to $3.0045. COMEX estimated volume at 20,088 lots by 10 am. Copper holds near unchanged level in sideways consolidation trade despite weak jobs data, said Matthew Zeman, head of trading with LaSalle Futures Group in Chicago.