CHICAGO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A surprise decline in U.S. payrolls in August could frighten already jittery consumers into shutting their wallets tight, a move that could push sales down to recession levels during the key holiday shopping season.

U.S. employers cut 4,000 jobs last month, the government reported, the first decline in four years and the latest cause for concern for consumers already on edge from the U.S. housing meltdown and higher prices for gas and food.

"This number is spooky," Ken Perkins, president of research firm Retail Metrics, said. "This obviously gives you more cause for concern, that's for sure. This is a highly unusual number."

Indeed, the data sent investors scurrying from many retail names that have held up particularly well in recent years.

High-end stocks like Sotheby's (BID.N: Quote, Profile, Research), down 2.7 percent; jewelers Tiffany & Co (TIF.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Zale Corp (ZLC.N: Quote, Profile, Research), down 3.6 and 3 percent, respectively; and Nordstrom (JWN.N: Quote, Profile, Research), down 2.3 percent, all suffered in morning trading.

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