Wall Street jumped at the open on Friday after an unexpectedly strong payrolls report eased fears about the path of the economic recovery.

Reflecting the eased concerns in the market, the CBOE Volatility Index <.VIX>, Wall Street's so-called fear gauge, fell 8.4 percent to 16.67.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 143.95 points, or 1.14 percent, at 12,728.12. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 15.88 points, or 1.19 percent, at 1,350.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 31.11 points, or 1.11 percent, at 2,845.83.

(Reporting by Angela Moon, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)