Europe seen higher despite mixed US jobs data

European equities are expected to open higher on Monday despite mixed employment data from the U.S. on Friday.

London's FTSE 100 index is called to open 35 points higher at 5,883, the German DAX up 42 points at 9,314 and the French CAC up 21 points at 4,219, according to IG.

European equities are expected to open higher as markets digest U.S. nonfarm payrolls data published on Friday. The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, against economists' expectations of a gain of 190,000.

The unemployment rate, however, fell to 4.9 percent from 5 percent, while wages rose 0.5 percent. On the whole, the data raised expectations for another interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve this year.

Meanwhile, markets in Australia and Japan rang in the Year of the Monkey on a mixed note, erasing early losses in afternoon trading on Monday.

Markets in mainland China and Taiwan are closed all week for the Lunar New Year holiday. Other markets closed on Monday include Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.

In other news, amid continuing low oil prices, Venezuela's Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino has been on a tour of oil producers to lobby for action to prop up prices.

Del Pino said he had a "productive" meeting with Saudi Arabian counterpart Ali al-Naimi on Sunday, according to Reuters. The ministers discussed "the need to maintain cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC members," the Venezuelan ministry added in a tweet.

Earnings are due on Monday from Randgold and Banca Populare di Milano.