KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar in early trade as the greenback strengthened, supported by an improvement in the US labour market and a robust economy, an analyst said.

At 8 am, the ringgit traded at 4.5100/5185 against the US dollar compared with 4.4945/5000 at Friday's close.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the US labour market remains resilient, with the latest non-farm payroll data exceeding expectations. December saw 256,000 jobs added, surpassing the consensus estimate of 160,000.