France's CAC 40 rose 0.5% to 6,782.92 in early trading while Germany's DAX added 0.2% to 15,722.35. Britain's FTSE 100 advanced 0.1% to 7,129.77.
Employment is in the spotlight. On Wednesday, payroll processor ADP said the U.S. private sector added 330,000 jobs in July, which fell short of analysts' expectations. Concerns have been mounting around the coronavirus delta variant's spread in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and particularly in China, which is on high alert as it confronts hundreds of fresh cases.China has sealed off residential communities, suspended flights and trains, and ordered mass coronavirus testing in Wuhan, the city where the disease was first detected in late 2019.
The Shanghai Composite index fell 0.3% to 3,466.55. Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.1% to 7,511.10. Shares slipped in Singapore but rose in India, Malaysia and Indonesia.