* Focus on U.S. payrolls data but trader positioning light * Bunds inch higher but fall at 142.00 technical barrier * U.S. elections and Greek risks dampen trading appetite By William James LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - German Bund futures rose on Friday but failed to break out of a recent range as many investors shied away from taking large positions before U.S. jobs data and with Greece again facing crisis. Uncertainty over the looming U.S. election, which could have an impact on euro zone bond markets, has discouraged investors from putting big bets on prices rising or falling after the closely watched non-farm payrolls data. "Just like any other non-farms we'll see a reaction because liquidity is so low after it, but a few minutes later we'll be back to trading the range, especially with the U.S. election coming up," a trader said. The data is due at 1230 GMT, and Reuters polls show the market is expecting an addition of 125,000 jobs in October, although another closely-watched report on job creation on Thursday came in some 23,000 above forecast. "Anything 50k to 70k either side and we'll see a move in futures but that would just be short term. To really break the ranges we'd be looking at below 50k or above 250k," the trader said. The December Bund contract was 12 ticks higher at 141.83, having briefly broken above the 142 to 141.18 trading range of the last three sessions. "It's a fail at 142. We only got 4 ticks above it and then fell over very quickly -- that's the sixth failure in a month at that level... It depends on what happens around payrolls but that 142 level has been a real problem," said Clive Lambert, technical analyst at Futurestechs. If U.S. data provides a lift and helps the contract settle above 142 at the end of the day, the next chart resistance comes at the contract's late August highs of 142.60, and beyond that the Aug. 2 high around 143.40, he said. GREEK DANGERS RISING Events within the euro zone also deterred market participants from long-term investment as Greece, still at the heart of the bloc's debt crisis, threatened to provide another flashpoint. Greece's deepening recession has put public finances under increasing strain and international lenders are struggling to reach an agreement with Athens on giving it more time to reduce its debt burden. A parliamentary vote next week on 13.5 billion euros of contested austerity measures is key to negotiations with international authorities, with the outcome increasingly uncertain. One Greek lawmaker quit the co-ruling Socialist party on Thursday in protest over the package. "There remains the possibility that they could reach some kind of impassable stumbling block," said Investec analyst Brian Barry, who said another Greek debt restructuring could "reopen the Pandora's box" of a country leaving the single currency. Greek debt was steady on the day, stabilising after a sell-off on Thursday, but the tension has prompted some of the opportunistic investors who bought Greece's bonds at ultra-cheap levels to sell and book profits. Bonds issued by Spain and Italy, who have been in the focus of the debt crisis for much of the year, were also relatively stable with 10-year yields at 5.62 percent and 4.94 percent respectively.

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