NEW YORK, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The dollar rose against most major currencies on Thursday as some weak U.S. economic reports added to concerns about economic recovery.

    The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties rose to a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.64 percent of all loans outstanding as of the end of the third quarter of 2009, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Thursday. It was the highest level since data collecting began in 1972.

    The percentage of loans in the foreclosure process at the end of the third quarter was 4.47 percent, also breaking the record. The combined percentage of loans in foreclosure or at least one payment past due was 14.41 percent on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, a record-high for the ninth straight quarter.

    Delinquency rates and foreclosure rates will continue to worsen before they improve due to high unemployment, the association said. A lot of potential foreclosure homes are coming into the market next year, pushing home prices downward.

    Initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits were unchanged at 505,000 last week, according to the Labor Department. Four-week average initial claims and continuing claims both continued falling, showing that the labor market was improving slowly.

    The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index rose 0.3 percent in October for the seventh straight month, an increase smaller than expected. The forward looking index suggested that economic activity will continue to grow over the next few months, at a slow pace though.

    The euro bought 1.4919 dollars in late New York trading compared with 1.4940 dollars it bought late Wednesday. The pound fell to 1.6647 dollars from 1.6718 dollars.

    The dollar rose to 1.0626 Canadian dollars from 1.0567 Canadian dollars, and rose to 1.0133 Swiss francs from 1.0114 Swiss francs. It fell to 89.01 Japanese yen from 89.48 Japanese yen.

Special Report:  Global Financial Crisis