* Investors pare growth outlook on Greek debt worry
* Chinese inflation, weak Japanese and US data also weigh
* Gold, bonds attract safehaven flows
* U.S. oil prices rise on weaker dollar
(Updated market action, adds fresh quote)
By Richard Leong
NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - Stocks on major world markets fell and the U.S. dollar slipped on Thursday as Greece's debt problem, Chinese inflation and disappointing U.S. jobs data stoked worries over a global economic slowdown.
Bonds and gold rose as uneasy investors shifted funds into less risky investments.
"We do have to scale back growth expectations. The market is more concerned about what growth will be like with rising input costs," said Jerry Webman, senior investment officer and chief economist at OppenheimerFunds in New York. "People are looking at 'risk-off' trades."
U.S. oil prices climbed on the weaker dollar.
World stocks, as measured by the MSCI world index <.MIWD00000PUS> shed 0.3 percent despite a burst of corporate activity that would usually lift investors' spirits. On a year-to-date basis, the index was still up 4.1 percent.
While investors fret over a global slowdown, economists in the latest Reuters poll predicted that world growth of 4.2 percent this year and 4.3 percent in 2012, unchanged since the January poll. See [ID:nLDE73D0XY]
European stocks <.FTEU3> fell 0.5 percent on the day, while Wall Street stocks were <.SPX> down 0.3 percent.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei <.N225> bucked the trend, closing up 0.1 percent after Wednesday's late gains in the U.S.
Selling in European stocks emerged on a report that Chinese inflation would re-accelerate after slowing recently. Investors are particularly concerned about Chinese inflation in case the government attempts to restrain it by raising interest rates prompts a 'hard landing' for the economy.
"In emerging markets especially China, they rely on high levels of oil imports. They import a lot of oil products into the manufacturing sector," said Chris Ferrarone, global equity strategist with UBS in Stamford, Connecticut.
Hong Kong's Phoenix TV, citing an unnamed source, said China's annual rate of inflation in March was likely to be 5.3 percent to 5.4 percent, a 32-month high and just above an estimate in a Reuters poll. [ID:nL3E7FE0EO]
PERIPHERAL WORRIES
Stock losses grew as Greek bond yields soared, with short-dated paper coming under the most intense pressure, as markets priced in a greater probability that Athens would be forced to restructure its runaway debt.
Yields of other peripheral euro zone states also rose sharply. [ID:nLDE73D153]
A year ago, the deterioration of Europe's sovereign debt problem held back the global recovery and forced the European Central Bank to leave policy rates steady for longer.
Adding to jitters over the bailout cost in Europe was the toll on Japan from last month's deadly quake and tsunamis.
The Reuters Tankan survey of 400 large firms found on Thursday that power shortages caused by the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant had hit nearly 60 percent of local companies, disrupting production and supply chains. [ID:nnLME7DP00Q]
In the U.S., the surprise rise in jobless claims raised doubts over the recovery in the labor market. For more, see [ID:nN14146589]
Renewed anxiety over the U.S. economy hurt the dollar,
which fell against the yen at 83.26 yen
The weaker dollar supported oil value, despite worries over less demand if the world economy slows.
U.S. oil prices
Gold prices
In bond trading, U.S. Treasury priced turned lower, as
traders prepared room for $13 billion of 30-year bonds. The
benchmark 10-year yield
German Bund futures
(Additional reporting by Ryan Vlastelica and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss in New York; Jeremy Gaunt, Jan Harvey, Nia Williams in London)