Data showing lacklustre job creation in the United States squelched a rally on European equity markets yesterday, also sending the dollar and Wall Street lower.
Modest gains in early European trading disappeared after the US jobs data was released.
Both Paris and Frankfurt fell by 1% at 4,421.78 points and 10,103.26  points respectively.
But gains in commodities and energy stocks thanks to the weaker dollar helped London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index keep in the green, closing up 0.4% at at 6,209.63 points.
One share that did soar in Paris was that of AccorHotels, which shot up 6.7% on a report in the daily Le Figaro that the Chinese group Jin Jiang plans to nearly double its stake to just under 30%, the level at which it would have to make a buyout offer to other shareholders.
The US dollar dropped by a cent and half against the euro, and fell further against the yen after the jobs data was released.
Around 1530 GMT, the euro had climbed to $1.1339 from $1.1154 late on Thursday.
The pound, which fell sharply earlier in the week on voter uncertainty, clawed back some ground against the dollar yesterday.
US stocks also took a hit, with the Dow dropping 0.4% in late morning trading.
Data from the US Labor Department showed the economy generated a paltry 38,000 net new positions in May, a quarter of the amount expected, and the lowest number since September 2010.
Coupled with downward revisions to the two previous months’ totals, removing 59,000 jobs originally tabled, the report crumbled the widely accepted picture that the US economy was picking up solidly from a first-quarter slump and pulled the rug out from expectations under the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this month.
Expectations had been running high for a June or July US rate hike after Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen recently said that such a move could be justified “in the coming months”, citing solid US economic growth and a strengthening labour market.
“Just as US investors were getting used to the idea that we were going to see some form of rate rise in the next two months this jobs number has thrown that into serious doubt, and if this slowdown continues raises the question as to whether we’ll see a rate rise at all this year,” said analyst Michael Hewson at CMC Markets.
Eyes also remained fixed on Britain, which votes June 23 on whether to remain part of the European Union.