By Bruno Federowski
    SAO PAULO, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Latin American currencies
seesawed on Friday after U.S. job growth posted solid gains in
November but wages rose less than expected.
    U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 228,000 jobs last month amid
broad gains in hiring as the distortions from the recent
hurricanes faded. Still, average hourly earnings rose 0.2
percent, less than the 0.3 percent consensus estimate.
    The figures left investors guessing over the pace of U.S.
interest rate hikes in coming months. Consistent signs of
strength in the labor market have been followed by mixed figures
on inflation, which remains stubbornly below the Federal
Reserve's target.
    A faster pace of rate hikes could reduce demand for
high-yielding assets in emerging markets. 
    The Mexican peso firmed 0.2 percent, while the
Brazilian real was down 0.5 percent. Chilean and
Colombian markets were closed due to local holidays.
    Also hurting demand for Brazilian assets was uncertainty
over President Michel Temer's ability to pass a plan to
streamline the social security system and trim government debt.
    That uncertainty drove the biggest daily loss on the real in
seven months on Thursday, but the currency found some support on
Friday after Temer agreed with congressional leaders to a Dec.
18 vote.
    The benchmark Bovespa stock index rose 0.8 percent,
boosted by blue-chips such as oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA
, lenders Banco do Brasil SA and Itaú
Unibanco SA and miner Vale SA.
    
    Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1720 GMT:
 Stock indexes                               daily %    YTD %
                                              change   change
                                   Latest             
 MSCI Emerging Markets              1111.84     1.03    27.63
 MSCI LatAm                         2706.75     0.52    15.05
 Brazil Bovespa                    73032.54     0.75    21.26
 Mexico S&P/BVM IPC                47245.94     0.55     3.51
 Argentina MerVal                  26841.50      1.4    58.66
 Venezuela IBC                      1317.56    -1.31   -95.84
                                                             
 Currencies                                  daily %    YTD %
                                              change   change
                                                      
                                     Latest           
 Brazil real                         3.3016    -0.49    -1.59
 Mexico peso                        18.9300     0.22     9.58
 Argentina peso (interbank)         17.2750    -0.12    -8.10
                                                      
 Argentina peso (parallel)            17.83     0.67    -5.66
                                                      
 
 (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Susan Thomas)