(Reuters) - Canadian stocks looked set to open higher on Friday as investors awaited monthly U.S. and Canadian employment reports. June futures on the S&P TSX index <0#SXF:> were up 0.09 percent at 0715 ET. Statistics Canada's employment data for May is expected to show that employers added 25,000 jobs after a surprise loss of 28,900 jobs in April. The data is due at 0830 ET. U.S. employers are expected to have maintained a solid pace of hiring in May, returning employment to its pre-recession level. The U.S. data is also due at 0830 ET. The TSX index was little changed on Thursday as a drop in energy and bank shares offset a jump in the gold-mining sector. Gold prices rose after the European Central Bank cut rates to record lows Dow Jones Industrial Average e-mini futures were up 0.17 percent at 0715 ET, while S&P 500 e-mini futures were up 0.09 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures were up 0.11 percent. (Morning News Call newsletter link.reuters.com/nex49s; The Day Ahead newsletter link.reuters.com/mex49s) TOP STORIES Canada is set to buy 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, sources familiar with the process said, marking a major renewal of Canada's fighter fleet and helping contain costs of the expensive defense program. Timmins Gold Corp said it had set up a special committee of independent directors to help respond to a proxy fight launched by a major shareholder to take control of the gold miner's board. Canada is enjoying an unexpected boom in production of ultra-light crude known as condensate, defying long-held predictions of dwindling supply. COMMODITIES AT 0715 ET Gold futures : $1,252.0; -0.08 pct U.S. crude : $102.73; +0.24 pct Brent crude : $109.11; +0.29 pct LME 3-month copper : $6,671.25; -1.6 pct ANALYST RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Air Canada : National Bank Financial raises rating to outperform from sector perform Cameco Corp : Canaccord Genuity raises rating to hold from sell Saputo : CIBC, National Bank Financial raise price target on the stock Westjet Airlines : National Bank Financial ups to outperform from sector perform U.S. ECONOMIC DATA DUE ON FRIDAY 0830 Non-farm payrolls for May: Expected +218,000, prior +288,000 0830 Private payrolls for May: Expected +210,000, prior +273,000 0830 Manufacturing payrolls for May: Expected +10,000, prior +12,000 0830 Government payrolls for May: Prior +15,000 0830 Unemployment rate for May: Expected +6.4 pct, prior +6.3 pct 0830 Average earnings mm for May: Expected +0.2 pct, prior +0.0 pct 0830 Average workweek hours for May: Expected +34.5 hrs, prior +34.5 hrs 1030 ECRI weekly index: Prior +135.4 1030 ECRI weekly annualized: Prior +5.3 pct 1500 Consumer credit for Apr: Expected +15.50 bln, prior +17.53 bln FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES: TSX market report Canadian dollar and bonds report Reuters global stocks poll for Canada Canadian markets directory ($1= $1.09 Canadian) (Reporting by Mononshila Deka in Bangalore; Editing by Ted Kerr)

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