Another morning here on California’s north coast — in this instance, a Friday. A hazy-white glow peaks light from the east, filtered by high, wispy clouds, and so far a weather-facsimile from yesterday.
Warm the word just about all day Thursday, so maybe we’ll get some of the same today — all way-good.

And further in a ‘way-good‘ sense this morning — a higher-than-expectations jobs report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 295,000 in February, compared with an average monthly gain of 266,000 over the prior 12 months. Job gains occurred in food services and drinking places, professional and business services, construction, health care, and in transportation and warehousing.

The unemployment rate also fell to 5.5 percent from 5.7 percent in January — lowest since May 2008.

(Illustration: Pablo Picasso’s ‘Musician, Dancer, Goat & Bird‘ found here).

Although I can’t find any specific information yet on how Humboldt County, and California as a whole, fared in the new employment numbers, hopefully, some of the ‘way-good‘ digits will rub off on us — we hover around the 6.5 percent rate, a bit lower that the statewide average of nearly 7 percent.

However, the data nationally was better than good, though, even way-better than predicted.
Via Reuters:

A Reuters survey of economists forecast a 240,000 increase in nonfarm payrolls after a 257,000 gain in January.
That would mark the 12th straight month of job increases above 200,000, the longest such run since 1994.
“The jobs picture remains extraordinary healthy,” said Jacob Oubina, an economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York.

One off-shoot with the financial markets and the jobs report, via the Guardian: ‘Bad news for Brits heading across the Atlantic soon — the pound has fallen by one and a half cents against the US dollar, to just $1.5095.’

In retirement, my view of employment is so…so…last year.