Shares seen up; eyes on U.S. payrolls

European equities were set to edge higher on Friday, reversing the previous session's dip and tracking gains in Asia, while investors braced for the all-important U.S. monthly jobs data, seeking clues on the health of the world's biggest economy. Financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 to open 17 to 18 points higher, or as much as 0.3 percent, Germany's DAX to open 21 to 23 points higher, or as much as 0.4 percent, and France's CAC-40 to open 13 to 14 points higher, or as much as 0.4 percent.

The U.S. government report, due at 1330 GMT, is expected to show the economy stopped shedding jobs last month for the first time since it slid into recession two years ago.

A Reuters survey of 84 economists on Thursday forecast nonfarm payrolls would be flat in December after dropping by 11,000 in November, far fewer than in previous months.