Workin' for a Livin'

One thing that excited me about moving here from the 'Ville is the robust job market.

In the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics rankings (for October), Massachusetts has dropped a bit but still stands tied for 16th among the states with a 6.6 unemployment rate.

And these are not just jobs, but good jobs. I've already applied for a number of them, including two this morning. Some of you may be visitors from my previous discussions on looking for jobs. Arkansas' rate in October was 7.2 percent, but most of the jobs there are service industry and/or low-wage.

I don't need to make a ton of money. But I need to make SOME money. Massachusetts provides these options. Best of all, there are jobs in my field(s). I am optimistic.

Of the two I looked at this morning, both are with a well-known employer and both suit me at a match above the 90th percentile. It's encouraging.

In Northwest Arkansas, the best jobs were either with Wal-Mart corporate HQ, Tyson HQ or the University of Arkansas. Everything else was kind of in the "just a job" category.

So my mood matches the sunshine of the day. Since I've never been here before, it's hard to know for sure but the weather seems unusually pleasant for this time of year. It's light for the path ahead.