With Labor Day just past and the final stretch of 2024 in sight, it is a good time to look at what all our labor is earning us these days. WalletHub conducted its annual Labor Day survey to find out how people were feeling about the economy and their place in it.
Frustration is high. The survey showed 74% of those who participated believed inflation is erasing their hard work. Nearly two-thirds of participants said inflation had affected their Labor Day weekend plans. Ninety-three percent of people said they wanted a raise to help them keep up with inflation.
On the other hand, 67% of people said they are doing better financially than they were last Labor Day, but 67% of people also said they believed they are working harder this year than last.
Most Americans are hard workers. Monday's holiday celebrated that work and the labor movement for building this country and keeping it running. It is also a good time to remember that while we are willing to work -- hard -- policymakers and elected officials had better be working just as hard for us.
We are willing to commit our brains and brawn to getting the job done. Always have been. Policymakers and politicians must remember their job is to work for us, and renew their determination to do so.