MARKETS-METALS (UPDATE 6) * U.S. private employers add 13,000 jobs in June * Aluminium stocks fall * Coming up: U.S. Chicago PMI for June; 1345 GMT (Recasts, updates prices) By Rebekah Curtis LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Copper tumbled to a one-week low on Wednesday after weak U.S. employment data raised the prospect of further losses as markets fretted about global economic growth and demand. Copper for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange was trading at $6,473 a tonne at 1246 GMT from a close of $6,494 on Tuesday. Earlier the metal used as a gauge of economic activity fell to $6,439.50 a tonne, its lowest since June 18. It is on course for its first quarterly loss since the last quarter of 2008 when it fell below $3,000 a tonne. Private employers in the world's largest economy, the United States, added a paltry 13,000 jobs in June, compared with a revised gain of 57,000 in May, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Thursday. "People are pretty downbeat at the moment ... so we continue to see people taking risk off the table, sitting on high levels of cash," said Dan Smith, analyst at Standard Chartered. But news that banks sought less funds than expected from the European Central Bank helped buoy sentiment. "It suggests there's less stress in the banking sector than people might have feared," Smith said. Traders also said the weaker dollar, which makes metals priced in the U.S. currency cheaper for holders of other currencies, would help support prices. But news that business activity in New York dipped in June from record levels in May checked confidence. KAZAKHMYS VIEW Kazakhstan-based metals group Kazakhmys PLC, one of the world's 10-biggest copper producers, expects copper prices to fall in the wake of an economic growth slowdown in China, the company's head said on Wednesday. LME copper is headed for a quarterly loss of more than 15 percent. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For a graphic of the year to date performance for LME metals: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/NT_20103006142236.jpg For a graphic on Shanghai metals: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/NT_20103006142648.jpg ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Aluminium was trading at $1,941 a tonne from $1,950 a tonne on Tuesday. The metal used in transport and packaging earlier hit $1,931, its lowest since June 23. Offering the demand picture some support, stocks of aluminium at LME warehouses have been on the decline, last falling 5,475 tonnes to around 4.4 million tonnes, down from a record above 4.6 million tonnes hit earlier this year. Zinc was at $1,745 a tonne from $1,743 and battery material lead was at $1,701 a tonne from $1,720. Tin was at $17,450 a tonne from $17,600 and nickel was at $19,200 a tonne from $19,075. "This is a market that from a macro perspective is not looking very robust," said Deutsche Bank analyst Dan Brebner. "The conditions in Europe continue to look highly risky," he said. "There are questions with respect to the U.S. possibly slipping into another recession. Risk aversion is likely to be elevated." But he said there was some buying interest out of Asia, China specifically, that was creating some support in the market. (Additional reporting by Pratima Desai; Editing by Sue Thomas)

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