A dismal Labor Day

There is a contradictory quality to celebrating Labor Day this year. The well-deserved day of rest comes mixed with the frustrations of the growing numbers of unemployed who cannot find work despite months of looking.

California’s unemployment numbers have risen to almost 12%in July and the country has lost close to seven million jobs since the start of the recession in December 2007.

The outlook is dismal despite some optimistic predictions that the worst of the economic crisis is over. The turn-around is difficult to see in the labor market.

For Latinos the rate of unemployment (13%) is much higher than the national average (9.7%). At the same time, Hispanic workers confront additional problems.

A recent National Council of La Raza report shows just how bleak it is: two of every five Latino workers do not earn sufficient wages to keep their families out of poverty; barely half of employed Hispanics have health insurance through their employers; Latinos are more likely to be victims of employers who fail to pay the compensation due; and Latinos take on the most dangerous jobs with little occupational safety in workplaces that are poorly regulated.

While the situation complicated for Latinos, it is as well for a large sector of the population that was unable to avoid the loss of employment because of this severe economic crisis. Congress, upon its return from break, must take immediate steps to extend unemployment benefits as a way to help in this emergency.

We are deeply concerned about the human toll brought on by job loss and the difficulty of finding new work. To address this, retooling and retraining the labor force must increase. Hopefully, these steps will make next year’s Labor Day better than the one we celebrate today.

There is a contradictory quality to celebrating Labor Day this year. The well-deserved day of rest comes mixed with the frustrations of the growing numbers of unemployed who cannot find work despite months of looking.

California’s unemployment numbers have risen to almost 12%in July and the country has lost close to seven million jobs since the start of the recession in December 2007.

The outlook is dismal despite some optimistic predictions that the worst of the economic crisis is over. The turn-around is difficult to see in the labor market.

For Latinos the rate of unemployment (13%) is much higher than the national average (9.7%). At the same time, Hispanic workers confront additional problems.

A recent National Council of La Raza report shows just how bleak it is: two of every five Latino workers do not earn sufficient wages to keep their families out of poverty; barely half of employed Hispanics have health insurance through their employers; Latinos are more likely to be victims of employers who fail to pay the compensation due; and Latinos take on the most dangerous jobs with little occupational safety in workplaces that are poorly regulated.

While the situation complicated for Latinos, it is as well for a large sector of the population that was unable to avoid the loss of employment because of this severe economic crisis. Congress, upon its return from break, must take immediate steps to extend unemployment benefits as a way to help in this emergency.

We are deeply concerned about the human toll brought on by job loss and the difficulty of finding new work. To address this, retooling and retraining the labor force must increase. Hopefully, these steps will make next year’s Labor Day better than the one we celebrate today.

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