Plus, see five career tips in the Coach’s Corner
Updated August 31, 2024-
The first Monday in September “is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers,” says the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
New York City celebrated the first Labor Day holiday back on Sept. 5, 1882. During the ensuing 12 years, 23 other states began observing Labor Day.
On June 28, 1894, it was made a national holiday by Congress.
“It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” adds the DOL.
However, as has been well-documented, there was not a basis for celebration of Labor Day as a holiday this century until 2017.
Reasons to celebrate? No
This Labor Day, Vice President Harris is running for president on the Democratic ticket. She replaced President Joe Biden who withdrew from the ticket after being confronted with horrible poll numbers on his bid for re-election.
But she is drawing widespread ridicule for her flip flops in an attempt to attract votes. Google cites countless references if you search the terms, “Kamala Harris flip flops.”
That’s also true on social media, for example:
@newspapaa Kamala Harris recently did an interview with Dana Bash where she seemed to change her views on some issues. How do you feel about this? #news #kamala #cnn #abc #fox #msn
Despite her flip flops, it is widely feared if elected she would continue President Biden’s policies. Why? Bidenomics has been a disaster.
Several publications such as Newsweek are reporting that millions of Americans now have to work at second jobs to make ends meet.
Inflation has skyrocketed to a 40-year high. While the actual rate of inflation is down this year, the damage has been done and prices remain too high for most Americans.
For example, gasoline jumped 50 percent, meat more than 8 percent, eggs more than a third, no new cars under $20,000, and used cars are 7 percent higher.
Affordability for home ownership has become out-of-reach for most Americans wanting to buy. Mortgage rates are the highest since the Carter Administration in the 1970s.
Wages have increased 5 percent, but it’s meaningless because inflation remains high.
This Labor Day, some economists are predicting a recession. Among those is economist David Rosenberg:
Happier days
Until took office, there were valid reasons for American workers to celebrate Labor Day. The economy was on a roll.
Despite the increasing trend of automation, American prospects for productive laboring improved dramatically.
Wall Street was soaring, which once skyrocketed for nearly three years. As a result, Americans’ 401(k) retirement savings plans sponsored by employers had skyrocketed.
Data shows optimism among business leaders and consumers had improved dramatically.
Trump’s economic success
Until President Trump entered the White House, study after study showed most jobs added since the Great Recession were low paying – even though the majority of lost jobs were at family wage levels.
Ironically, a liberal organization, the National Employment Law Project, released its largely ignored findings in the middle of the 2012 presidential campaign.
“The overarching message here is we don’t just have a jobs deficit; we have a ‘good jobs’ deficit,” said Annette Bernhardt, the study’s author.
The report considered 366 occupations listed by the DOL. Jobs paying $13.84 to $21.13 per hour – considered decent wages – were among the 60 percent of lost jobs. But they only constituted 22 percent of the new jobs.
Moreover, the jobs paying $7.69 to $13.83 per hour were part of the 21 percent of lost jobs. But they only accounted for 58 percent of the gain in new jobs. The median pay of the 58 percent of new jobs was only $10.97 an hour – not hardly a family wage level.
The study showed most of those jobs were filled by seasoned workers because they couldn’t find jobs that paid them as well before the recovery began.
Then, there was pointed criticism at the Obama Administration.
“The economy has created only about 6 million new jobs during the Bush-Obama years, whereas the comparable figure during the Reagan-Clinton period was about 40 million,” wrote economist Morici in July of 2015.
“…the real unemployment rate among U.S. citizens and permanent residents is at least 18 percent,” Dr. Morici wrote.
“The reluctance of both Presidents Bush and Obama to confront Chinese protectionism and currency manipulation and open up offshore oil for development have created a huge trade deficit that sends consumer demand, growth and jobs abroad,” he stated.
He pointed out the jobs picture was bleak as the result of Obama Administration policies.
“New business regulations, more burdensome than are necessary to accomplish legitimate consumer protection and environmental objectives, exacerbate these problems,” explained Dr. Morici.
Fortunately, data proves the average American worker was much better off under the Trump White House.
America also had a president who productively used his bully pulpit.
Unlike Presidents Obama, Biden and Vice President Harris, President Trump adamantly criticized the Chinese currency manipulations, and pushed for domestic government reforms and American jobs. And he implemented a jobs retaining and internship program that showedgreat results.
Indeed, American workers had valid reasons to celebrate.
But now: Happy Labor Day, America?
From the Coach’s Corner, here are some proven career tips:
Art of Persuasion: How to Get People to Actually Listen to You — Have you ever felt invisible – where people aren’t listening to your viewpoints? Here are five recommendations to maximize your art of persuasion.
Career Strategies: How to Get a C-Level Job — If you’re climbing the corporate ladder and have designs on a C-level job, a noted Stanford University professor has some excellent advice.
Discouraged in Job Hunting? Powerful Tips for the Best Job — Whether unemployed or under-employed, a person needs two things: A sense of hope and the right tools to negotiate a job. Here are both.
Stand Out: Get a Job Interview with a Great Resume — More and more job seekers complain they don’t get acknowledgment when they apply for positions with prospective employers. It’s disappointing, especially if you’ve done your best to stand out in a crowd when jobs are scarce.
5 Tips to Shine in Your Online Job Application — To sail through the human resources filtering system, here are five online-application tips: 1. Put social media to work for you. Make certain your social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter – are current, professional and show maturity. Be careful what you publish – always keep in mind your career goals.
“A part-time worker is fully employed, half the time. In other words, they are part-time unemployees.”
-Jarod Kintz
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