Job have you tired, stressed? You're lucky

A  quick look at the website of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) provides an unsavory snapshot: Unemployment stands at 9.5 percent, payroll employment was down 131,000 as of July and productivity was down 1.8 percent, while unit labor costs increased 1.1 percent in the second quarter of 2010.

Add to that a Gallup poll released Thursday that underemployment was 18.6 percent in August, up from 18.4 percent at the end of July. Gallup says its poll “estimates the percentages of American workers who are either unemployed or working part time but wanting full-time work.”

We arrive at Labor Day 2010 with far too many Americans having the day off not in celebration but because they are without employment. According to the Labor Department, the day is intended to be “a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” Many have come to treat the three-day weekend as the final fling of summer, but this year not as many will be as far-flung.

The stagnant state of our economy has put a damper on such road trips, with many families opting to stay home this year despite Wednesday’s announcement from the Energy Department that gasoline prices are at their second-lowest level in five years. The good news, reported by Charles Wallace on dailyfinance.com, is “some economists predict that (fuel prices) could drop much further in the months ahead.”

As you take time today to finish off the last of those summer projects, fire up the grill one more time or just put your feet up for a day free of spread sheets, bosses’ demands and deadlines, consider those who have fallen victim to our economic crunch. While Labor Day’s origins are as a celebration of workers’ contributions, this year it might be fitting to treat it as a celebration that you have those daily workplace demands to face. Many people would gladly trade places with you.