NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar rose against the euro and other major currencies on Thursday after reports showed the U.S. economy will not slip into a recession despite a persistent credit crunch.

    The Commerce Department said retail sales rose in November by the largest amount in six months. A Labor Department report showed a drop in new claims filed by those seeking jobless benefits.

    The data, supporting the view that the U.S. economy is still solid, reduced the chance of another rate cut by the Federal Reserve early next year.

    The central bank decided to cut its benchmark federal funds rate by a quarter point to 4.25 percent on Tuesday, falling short of some traders' expectations.

    In afternoon New York trading, the euro fell to 1.4624 dollars from 1.4720 dollars late Wednesday. The British pound dropped to 2.0387 dollars from 2.0471 dollars.

    The dollar rose to 112.20 Japanese yen from 112.13 yen late Wednesday. The U.S. currency rose to 1.1413 Swiss francs from 1.1336 francs, and to 1.0207 Canadian dollars from 1.0131.