LONDON (AP) - Better than expected US jobs data supported stocks yesterday following massive gains a day earlier in the wake of the Federal Reserve's decision to pump $600 billion in newly-created money into the economy. The dollar surged after the forecast-busting jobs figures.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed up 12.56 points, or 0.2 percent, at 5,875.35, its highest close since June 2008. Germany's DAX also ended at its highest levels since then, after rising 19.51 points, or 0.3 percent, at 6,754.20. The CAC-40 in France was more or less unchanged at 3,916.73.

In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 19.79 points, or 0.2 percent, at 11,415.05 in early afternoon New York trading, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index was up a little over a point at 1,222.33.

On Thursday, the Dow closed at its highest level since just before US investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008 and the S&P hit a 2010 high.

Europe's main markets and Wall Street futures had been trading lower before the Labour Department reported that the US economy generated 151,000 jobs in October, way more than the 60,000 consensus in the markets, while private payrolls rose 159,000, double market expectations. Further good news came with major upward revisions to previous months' data.

China's central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan said the Fed's move might hurt the rest of the world.

"If the domestic policy is optimal policy for the United States alone, but at the same time it is not an optimal policy for he world, it may bring a lot of negative impact to the world. There is a spill over," Zhou said.

That sentiment was echoed by Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who said Thursday that the Fed's stance is "creating extra problems for the world".

Earlier, Asian shares had advanced in the wake of Thursday's rally in the US and Europe.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index soared 267.21 points, or 2.9 percent, to 9,625.99 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.2 percent to 4,800.6. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 1.4 percent to 24,876.82 and China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.4 percent to 3,129.5.

Oil prices drifted slightly lower after big advances over recent days - commodities like oil have been buoyant of late as expectations of fresh Fed action have weakened the dollar, which is the currency most commodities are traded in. A weaker dollar makes commodities more attractive to investors holding other currencies.

Benchmark crude for December delivery was down 19 cents at $86.46 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange after reaching $87.22.