Euro zone bond yields held steady on Thursday after falling for the previous two sessions, as investors waited for more data on the health of the U.S. jobs market.

Yields have slid this week as markets have fretted over the looming August U.S. employment report, due on Friday, and reacted to figures on Wednesday showing American

job openings fell to their lowest level in 3-1/2 years in July.

Germany's two-year bond yield, which is sensitive to European Central Bank rate expectations, fell to 2.288% on Thursday, its lowest since a previous bout of economic worries sent yields tumbling on Aug. 5. It later inched up to trade flat at 2.316%.

Investors have nudged up their bets on U.S. and European rate cuts this week, helping pull down bond yields, while also moving into the safety of government debt as stocks have stumbled.

Markets have been on edge about Friday's U.S. non-farm payrolls report since weaker-than-expected July numbers helped spark a rout in stocks, although that later reversed.

The German 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for the euro zone bloc, fell to 2.197% in early trading, its lowest since Aug. 22. It was last slightly higher at 2.223%. Yields fall as prices rise, and vice versa.

ADP data on U.S. private payrolls, an ISM services sector survey and weekly jobless claims could spur volatility later in the day.

"Those could also move the market but of course all the eyes are on non-farm payrolls," said Jussi Hiljanen, rates strategist at lender SEB.

European data did little to move euro zone markets, which are overwhelmingly focused on the U.S. economy and the Federal Reserve, given the force they exert over global growth.

German industrial orders unexpectedly rose in July, although the increase was flattered by some large orders, data showed on Thursday. Separate data showed euro zone retail sales slipped very slightly in July.

​Italy's 10-year yield was up 2 bps at 3.599% after falling 9 bps on Wednesday, and the gap between Italian and German yields stood at 137 bps.

"In the coming months it will be primarily the U.S. data that will move the euro zone bond market and even the ECB expectations," Hiljanen said.

(Reporting by Harry Robertson Editing by Gareth Jones)