London copper rose on Friday, erasing this week's declines, after jobs data pointed to a recovery in the US economy and offset concerns that the euro zone crisis is dragging demand growth lower.

Asian buying also kept prices higher, with investors betting on an increase in demand in China as business activity expands in the world's second-largest economy.

Three month copper on the London Metal Exchange climbed 0.53% to USD 7,580 a tonne by 0707 GMT, after rising as high as USD 7,627.25 earlier in the session.

Prices have fallen 0.5% in the first week of trading in 2012 and tumbled 22% from a year earlier.

Song Seng Wun regional economist CIMB Research in Singapore said that "The Chinese economy is not going in for a hard landing so there's still a degree of demand we ought to factor in from China.”

"On the other hand, there's a tug of war. Some are wondering whether a recovery in the US is sustainable. We have our doubts but it might keep the optimist hopeful in terms of demand."

Copper steadied on Thursday after another round of upbeat data from the United States brought a pause in selling even as European debt and financing worries took hold.

(Sourced from Reuters)