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Jan 15 (Reuters) - Australian shares inched lower on Monday, with miners declining the most on China demand worries, while traders awaited December jobs data due later in the week for hints on the central bank's next interest rate moves.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO edged 0.1% lower to 7,491.30 by 2343 GMT. The benchmark gained a marginal 0.1% last week.

Investors will closely monitor the Australian employment data for December due to be released on Thursday. The country's employment had outpaced expectations for the second straight month in November.

Focus will also be on quarterly production reports of mining giants. Rio Tinto RIO.AX and BHP Group BHP.AX will announce their December-quarter numbers this week.

Mining stocks .AXMM dropped as much as 0.9% to hit their lowest level in a month.

Iron ore futures slipped last week as persistently weak economic data in top consumer China dented demand prospects.IRONORE/

BHP and Rio Tinto were down 1% and 0.8%, respectively.

Gold stocks .AXGD climbed 0.9%, following a rally in bullion prices last week as Middle East tensions triggered safe-haven buying. GOL/

Top gold miner Northern Star Resources NST.AX jumped 0.7%, while Newmont's Australia-listed shares NEM.AX gained nearly 1.2%.

Energy stocks .AXEJ climbed 0.6%, tracking a jump in oil prices on Friday as an increasing number of oil tankers diverted course from the Red Sea following strikes by the U.S. and Britain on Houthi targets in Yemen. O/R

Boss Energy BOE.AX rose as much as 9.2% to touch an all-time high, while Paladin Energy PDN.AX advanced 7.1%.

Technology stocks .AXIJ were up 0.4%, while healthcare stocks .AXHJ dipped 0.4%.

Among individual stocks, Super Retail Group SUL.AX rose as much as 6% to hit an all-time high, as the retailer's earnings forecasts beat analysts' estimates. The stock was among the top gainers on the benchmark index.

Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 fell 0.4% to 11,806.49.

(Reporting by Aaditya Govind Rao in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

((aaditya.govindrao@thomsonreuters.com))

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