FOREX-Dollar falls below 100 yen, hits record low vs euro

(Updates prices, adds comment)

By Steven C. Johnson

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - The dollar plunged below 100 yen on Thursday for the first time in more than a decade and hit a record low against the euro as worries deepened on Wall Street that the United States had entered a recession.

The dollar approached parity with the Swiss franc for the first time ever, gold hit an all-time high and data showing a surprise drop in U.S. retail sales heightened concern that American consumers were cutting back on spending.

"We are seeing tremendous pressure on the dollar, and if you look at the reasons why the dollar is so unpopular, it's very difficult to see any of those factors changing in the next few months," said Mike Moran, currency strategist at Standard Chartered in New York.

The dollar fell to 99.77 yen <JPY=>, its lowest level since 1995 before easing to 100.80 yen late in the morning in New York, 0.75 percent weaker on the day.

So far this year, the dollar has lost nearly 10 percent against the Japanese currency, and the dip below 100 has stirred fear that Japan could intervene to cap yen gains that threaten to cut into corporate profits.

Some traders said that was unlikely as long as the dollar remained above 90 yen, but Moran warned that "we are certainly going to see much louder chatter from various central banks about currencies."

The euro hit a fresh lifetime high at $1.5624 <EUR=> before easing to $1.5570 and the dollar fell 0.3 percent to 1.0120 Swiss francs <CHF=> after plumbing a record low of 1.0047 francs.