European Shares Down Ahead of US Jobs Data

European stock markets traded slightly in the red on Friday, as investors remained cautious ahead of US nonfarm payrolls data due later in the day for clues on the interest rates outlook.

The November jobs report in the US should indicate that interest rate hikes are having the intended effect on the economy, without signaling a possible recession.

Markets expect about 200,000 jobs were added last month.

Investors also looked ahead to a raft of European economic data, headlined by euro area producer price index data.