CANADA STOCKS-TSX futures flat as investors turn cautious ahead of key jobs report

Jan 8 (Reuters) - Futures tracking Canada's resources-heavy stock index were flat on Thursday, pressured by a decline in precious metal prices, while investors turned cautious ahead of a key jobs report later in the week.

March ?futures on Toronto's S&P/TSX Composite index were up 0.03% as of 6:42 a.m. ?ET, after the benchmark pulled back from a record high ?on Wednesday due to cooling precious metal prices. Much ?of this week ?has been dominated by developments in Venezuela, home to the world's largest oil ?reserves, where a potential increase in ?production could result in stiff competition to Canadian oil companies.

TSX's energy sub-index has fallen 5.8% this ?week and is set for its ?biggest ?weekly decline in nine months.

On Thursday, spot gold dropped 0.5%, while silver prices fell 2.93%, as investors prepared for ?futures selling tied to a commodity index reshuffle that starts on Friday.

Oil prices edged higher, recouping declines over the previous two sessions triggered by worries that the United States' attempts to control reserves in Venezuela would lead to higher oil ?supply.

Canada's ?trade data for October is due later in the day, but the greater focus will be on December ?employment figures due on Friday, which could help investors gauge the Bank of Canada's next monetary policy move. In other news, Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit China next week as Canada tries to forge new trade partnerships in the face of crippling tariffs ?in its main market, the U.S.

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Canadian ?markets directory (Reporting by Utkarsh Tushar Hathi; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)