Labor Day is a federal public holiday in the United States celebrated the first Monday in September. This year, 2023, it will be observed on September 4. The holiday honors the American labor movement and the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws and well-being of the country.
It is observed the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend, and it is considered the unofficial end of summer. It also represents the beginning of a new school year. The following are some random thoughts about labor and employment.
There are some disturbing problems that are becoming apparent in the halls of labor. Though there are a lot of people who put time and effort into the work they do, there are others who are not really interested in producing quality work. They do not understand that people become employed because of a need the employer has; they focus on their own personal need for money and do not understand their importance in the workplace.
There is something very rewarding about doing a good day’s work, no matter what the field of endeavor may be. But among many in the younger generation, this appreciation for a job well done does not always garner the right level of attention. As a result, those in service-oriented jobs might not satisfy the public adequately. One remedy for this might come from schools…it might become necessary for schools to increase their focus on the protocols of job culture.
With this said, there are also a large number of people who are ambitious and who want to get ahead. Some of these people are workaholics who really throw themselves into their work. They are the ones who get up early, or go to bed late after burning the midnight oil. These are the achievers, the ones who have their sights set on moving upward in the corporate, private or public sectors. We applaud their diligence!
On another note, one of the biggest problems we face as a society is that of ensuring that all of the people who want to work will be able to access jobs. In a capitalist society, a person’s well-being is usually tied to how successful they are in acquiring gainful employment.
The challenge is that one of the key requirements of employment is that employers are fair in their hiring policies. For example, there was a time when women, for the most part, were unable to acquire work outside the home. Fortunately, this situation has changed quite a bit.
African Americans, from the beginning of their sojourn in America, have been particularly impacted by hiring policies. This has adversely influenced some Black Americans’ attitude toward work. It is understandable when you consider the more than 240 years Blacks were forced to work for free. That has no doubt dampened the spirit of prospective Black workers.
Actually, we may be in the golden age of employment now, in that there are jobs still available in a range of industries. This is changing…we have been warned about the advent of AI, Artificial Intelligence, which threatens to adversely impact many industries we may not have considered.
For instance, cars have had human drivers ever since their inception. Now, however, with driverless vehicles rapidly coming over the horizon, certain jobs might become endangered. Driverless vehicles might replace cab drivers, long-distance truck drivers, chauffeurs, and anyone else who is skilled in manually operating vehicles.
Conversely, new jobs and opportunities will become available; some will be so advanced that it would be difficult to even imagine the possibilities. An important aspect of this metamorphizing of the employment landscape is that there will be more jobs available for Black Americans due to an anticipated “browning of America” and an attendant birth dearth among white people.
This latter point adds fuel to the notion that the generations of workers growing up today need to really prepare themselves to become qualified for the new face of employment in the future. Ultimately, they must figure out a way to “Love their labor” and consequently “Labor with love” in order to generate quality results benefiting everyone. With that said, have a safe holiday weekend! A Luta Continua.
