European markets retreat as economic concerns persist

European markets fell at the open on Monday, amid ongoing concerns over the global economy.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.4% shortly after the opening bell, with most sectors in negative territory. Elsewhere, the FTSE 100 index fell 0.28% to 8,227.17 points. Germany’s DAX index fell 0.35% to 20,150.80 points. France’s CAC 40 index also lost 0.33%.

Regional markets closed lower on Friday, as investors reacted to the latest US jobs data that showed non-farm payrolls rose by 256,000 jobs last month — well above the 155,000 jobs forecast by economists polled by Dow Jones.

The data dampened sentiment among global markets as it raised concerns that the US Federal Reserve will proceed cautiously when it comes to further interest rate cuts. Investors in the region will continue to monitor eurozone and UK government bond yields this week after yields rose to multi-month highs last week.