Europe shares hit lowest close in more than 6 wks

By Ana Nicolaci da Costa

LONDON, March 7 (Reuters) - European shares hit their lowest close in more than six weeks on Friday as data showing the U.S. labour market was struggling fanned worries over global growth, keeping financial and commodity stocks under pressure.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed down 1.1 percent at 1,269.42 points, its lowest close since Jan. 23.

It hit the day's low of 1,258.27 after data showed U.S. employers unexpectedly cut jobs in February at the steepest rate in nearly five years. But a brief rebound in U.S. stocks, which analysts attributed to short-covering, towards the European close helped the index off its lows.

Mining stocks BHP (BLT.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Anglo American (AAL.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and Antofagasta (ANTO.L: Quote, Profile, Research) dropped between 4.1 and 5.4 percent, while among banks HSBC (HSBA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) fell 1.1 percent. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and Societe Generale (SOGN.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) both lost 2 percent.

"In a way it's surprising, given how much economic gloom there is around, that the equity markets haven't cracked more than they have," said Andrew Bell, a strategist at Rensburg Sheppards Investment Management.

The U.S. Labour Department on Friday said 63,000 non-farm jobs were eliminated last month, in sharp contrast to Wall Street forecasts that 25,000 jobs would be added.

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