Global shares mostly declined Friday as investors looked to a key U.S. jobs report due later in the day to gauge the health of the economy and see what the Federal Reserve might do on interest rates.

France's CAC 40 declined 1.3% in early trading to 8,042.05, while Germany's DAX slipped 1.4% to 18,153.11. Britain's FTSE 100 shed nearly 1.0% to 7,898.31. U.S. shares were set to trade mixed with Dow futures down 0.2% at 38,988.00, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.3% to 5,213.25.

Apple is laying off more than 600 workers in California, marking the company's first big wave of post-pandemic job cuts amid a broader wave of tech industry consolidation.

The iPhone maker notified 614 workers in multiple offices on March 28 that they were losing their jobs, with the layoffs becoming effective on May 27, according to reports to regional authorities.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called on China on Friday to address manufacturing overcapacity that she said risks causing global economic dislocation, and to create a level playing field for American companies and workers.

Starting a five-day visit in one of China's major industrial and export hubs, she raised what the U.S. considers to be unfair Chinese trade practices in talks with senior Chinese officials.

The American economy is thought to have added 200,000 jobs in March — a more-than-respectable increase though one that would mark a slowdown from February's vigorous gain of 275,000 and last year's monthly average increase of 251,000.

A modest downshift in hiring could reassure the Federal Reserve that the economy isn't running too hot, especially if wage growth, a key driver of inflation, also slowed last month. The Fed's policymakers are tracking the state of the economy, the job market and inflation to determine when to begin cutting interest rates from their multi-decade highs — a move eagerly awaited by Wall Street traders, homebuyers and people in need of cars, household appliances and other major purchases that are typically financed.

Two years ago, on 7 April 2022, Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed on a program of actions and reforms.

Its implementation would have unlocked over $3 billion in assistance, additional support from donors, put Lebanon back on the path of economic recovery and restored its international credibility.