The best year for jobs since 1999

The December jobs report is a mixed bag — a solid payrolls figure, but declining wages and labor force participation. But here’s one bit of encouraging news: 2014 was the best year for job creation since 1999.

In 2014, employers added nearly 3 million jobs, just shy of 1999’s 3.1 million. Of course, there’s a long way to go yet — more people working will mean a more sustained bump in paychecks than anything we’ve seen recently. But given the broader post-recession context, 2014 is a reason to cheer.