Global shares sinks in wake of jobs report

Global stocks fell on Monday as investors reacted to the surprisingly sharp slowdown in US jobs growth reported last week, which raised concerns about the strength of the world's largest economy.

Stocks on Wall Street and crude oil futures prices slid about 1 percent on the first trading day after the US Labor Department reported the March jobs data. US equity markets were closed on Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 130.55 points, or 1.00 percent, at 12,929.59. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 15.88 points, or 1.14 percent, at 1,382.20. The Nasdaq Composite Index slid 33.42 points, or 1.08 percent, at 3,047.08.

MSCI's all-country world equity index slipped 0.7 percent to trade near lows last seen a month ago.

European markets were closed for the Easter holidays. In Japan, Nikkei average fell 1.5 percent to post its fifth straight day of losses today, with a weak US jobs report raising fresh concerns over recovery in the world's largest economy and as a stronger yen weighed on exporters.

The Nikkei has dropped 5.3 percent since April 2 , marking its longest losing streak since late November. The benchmark Nikkei ended down 142.19 points at 9,546.26, its lowest closing level since February 21.