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The face of labor continues to change

It might be tough to believe that the traditional end of summer has arrived, but today is indeed Labor Day.

More than a day off that punctuates the just-begun school year, it’s a day to think about the contribution of working Americans to the nation, and of workers to the support of their families and their communities.

Labor Day came about in 1894 with a declaration by the federal government and is, according to the Census Bureau “a creation of the labor movement in the late 19th century and pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers.”

A mouthful, to be sure, but it’s more than just the conclusion of a three-day weekend for most, or one last chance to fire up the grill.

In the Steubenville-Weirton area, Labor Day was, for much of the past several generations and up until a few years ago, a time to reflect on the status of the local steel mills, which employed thousands who were part of the bulwarks of the organized labor movement.

As the mills shrank and the presence of the big unions lessoned, it became easy to say Labor Day was nothing more than another holiday around here.

Except there are still thousands who are going to work every day, from heavy industry to power plants to hospitals to centers of higher education, to retail, to the oil and gas fields and plants, and, yes, in steel.

For all of those who work, there is a strange disparity this Labor Day. While the government says the unemployment rate is back down to 5.5 percent from its Great Recession highs, workers are filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction in poll after poll.

The nation’s labor force as of May totaled 158.5 million people age 16 and over, with 16.4 percent of them unionized and 27 million in service jobs, according to the Census Bureau.

And that labor force reflects the changing world. The projected fastest growth job by percentage through 2024 will be, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in wind turbine service technicians, while the fastest growth in sheer numbers will be personal care aides.

It’s a day, in other words, to grill burgers, enjoy one last easy summer day with family and friends and be thankful that the ever-changing work force still provides the backbone of the nation, regardless of who the biggest employer is.

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