* Investors look to government, central banks for help
* Markets await Bernanke's speech, Obama's jobs plan
* ECB rates unchanged, Trichet sees downside growth risks
* Stocks fall briefly as jobless claims unexpectedly rise
(Recasts lead, updates stock market action)
By Richard Leong
NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Stocks on major world markets were slightly higher on Thursday on hopes of further government action to spur economic growth, while the euro slipped on fears the euro zone debt crisis is worsening with Greece failing to meet fiscal targets.
Safe havens were still in favor with investors though with gold prices rising again after a two day fall and German and U.S. government bonds yields edged lower.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will deliver a speech on the U.S. economic outlook at 1:30 p.m. (1730 GMT) to the Economic Club of Minnesota, but he is unlikely to announce any new measures to boost the economy. [nN1E7860OB]
U.S. President Barack Obama will deliver a televised speech to Congress at 7 p.m. (2300 GMT), in which he is expected to propose tax cuts for middle-class households and businesses and new spending to repair roads, bridges and other infrastructure. For details, see [nN1E786157]
"The enticement to buy is in case positive is said by Bernanke and later by the President," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist with Janney Montgomery Scott based in Philadelphia.
Later this week, G7 finance ministers and central bankers will convene in Marseilles, France with expectations that they will pledge support to help a struggling global economy. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Graphic-interest rate outlook: http://link.reuters.com/pej23s Graphic - U.S. jobless claims: http://r.reuters.com/dym63s Graphic - U.S. trade balance: http://r.reuters.com/nym63s U.S. exports and the dollar: http://r.reuters.com/xan63s ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
An earlier U.S. government report showing an increase in weekly jobless claims and remarks by European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet about downside risks to the euro zone's economy fueled fears that both the United States and Europe are at risk of slipping into recession.
Those worries briefly pushed equities markets in negative territory.
"There is an obvious concern about growth in the U.S.," said Jessica Hoversen, fixed income and currency analyst at MF Global in New York.
At 11:42 a.m. (1542 GMT), the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 38.00 points, or 0.33 percent, at 11,452.86. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 3.25 points, or 0.27 percent, at 1,201.87. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 14.15 points, or 0.56 percent, at 2,563.09.
World stocks as measured by MSCI <.MIWD00000PUS> were up 0.2 percent, helped by a 0.3 percent gain in Tokyo's Nikkei <.N225>. The MSCI world index has recovered somewhat from the August correction -- the worst monthly loss since 2008 -- but the index is 16 percent below the 2011 highs hit in May.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index <.FTEU3> of top European shares rebounded up 0.8 percent after erasing earlier gains on the ECB's decision to leave key rates alone.
In the wake of Trichet's cautious economic outlook and the
chances of no more rate hikes in the foreseeable future, the
euro fell a two-month low against the dollar. It touched a
session low of $1.3943 on the EBS trading platform
In the bond market, benchmark 10-year German Bund yields
Spot gold prices
(Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss in New York; Anriban Nag, Kirsten Donovan and Jeremy Gaunt in London)