* U.S. jobs data awaited
* Stocks eke out gains
* Dollar steady to slightly weaker
* Aussie mining tax deal supports shares
By Jeremy Gaunt, European Investment Correspondent
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - World shares eked out gains for
only the second time in nine sessions on Friday but the rise was
likely to be contingent on key U.S. jobs data due later.
The dollar was slightly lower against a basket of major
currencies and euro zone sovereign debt firmed a bit.
The U.S. non-farm payrolls report, due at 1230 GMT, is
always a market mover, but this month's will be particularly
scrutinised as it comes amid signs of a slowdown in U.S. and
global economic recovery.
Economists polled by Reuters are expecting a fall in June
non-farm payrolls of 110,000 -- the first drop this year. But it
will be primarily because of the disappearance of temporary
federal census-taking jobs.
Private-sector hiring is forecast to rise to 112,000 , up
from 41,000 in May.
Riskier assets such as equities have been hit over recent
weeks by weak data suggesting that the global economy is pulling
back. Some bearish analysts even expect a double-dip recession.
"The U.S. economy doesn't look so good. Wall Street is
choppy and it's hard to predict trends, but it's starting to
look a bit like a bear market," said Koichi Ogawa, chief
portfolio manager at Daiwa SB Investments in Japan.
MSCI's all-country world stock index <.MIW00000PUS> was up
0.2 percent, about 8 percent lower than it was when a short
rally began petering out on June 21.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <> was up 0.2
percent with miners higher after Australia dumped its proposed
"super profits" tax on the sector for a lower resource rent tax.
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Shares in Anglo American <AAL.L>, Antofagasta <ANTO.L>, BHP
Billiton <BLT.L>, Rio Tinto <RIO.L> and Xstrata <XTA.L> rose 1.3
to 2.9 percent.
Earlier, Japan's Nikkei <> closed up 0.1 percent. It
has shed 5.5 percent on the week.
DOLLAR STEADY
The dollar steadied after steep losses on Thursday brought
on by economic concerns, fanned by data showing weekly claims
for U.S. jobless benefits rose unexpectedly while growth in the
manufacturing sector slowed in June.
The dollar index <.DXY>, a gauge of its performance against
six other major currencies, hovered above a two-month low after
it shed 1.6 percent on Thursday.
The index was slightly lower on the day at 84.59.
The euro was holding steady around $1.2518 <EUR=> after
surging more than 2 percent on Thursday to $1.2541 in its
biggest one-day advance since mid-March last year.
Euro zone government bond yields were flat to lower ahead of
the jobs data.
"The market feels a bit long, there may be some
consolidation into payrolls but the risk is we'll see a bigger
move if the number is well above consensus rather than if it is
well below," a trader said.
(Additional reporting by Tamawa Desai and Kirsten Donovan,
editing by Mike Peacock)
