TOKYO, June 2 Reuters The U.S. dollar wallowed near a oneweek low versus major peers on Friday, on course for its worst week since midJanuary, amid strengthening views that the Federal Reserve will forgo an interest rate hike this month.

The U.S. Senate39;s passage of a bill to suspend the debt ceiling and avert a disastrous default also removed a pillar of support for the dollar, which had paradoxically been a key beneficiary because of its safehaven status.

The Australian dollar surged after an increase in the minimum wage stoked bets for the central bank to raise rates again next week.

The U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of six rivals, weakened 0.06 to 103.48 in Asian trading, extending a 0.62 slide from Thursday, its worst day in almost a month.

For the week, the index is on course to lose 0.73.

Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said on Thursday that it39;s time to at least hit the stop button for one meeting and see how it goes, referring to the June 1314 meeting.

A day earlier, Fed Governor Philip Jefferson had said that skipping a rate hike at a coming meeting would allow the committee to see more data before making decisions about the extent of additional policy firming.

Some softness in U.S. manufacturing data overnight supported the case for a pause, although jobs figures continue to print hot, putting even more focus than usual on the monthly nonfarm payrolls report later in the day.

The key is nonfarm payrolls…