Fourth Letter

Happy Labor Day!  128 years ago marked the first ever Labor Day - a day meant to celebrate the esprit de corps of trade and labor organizations.  For an unemployed laborer with tons of "esprit," today becomes an unique holiday.  For those of us still searching for work, we live to hunt another day.  While the country takes a break today, us job hunters are hit with tons of messages about possible employment...

Some of the news is positive.  Fellow blogger Mark J. Perry writes about the employment report for August,

"Private-sector jobs have increased in each month this year, and by 67,000 in August, bringing the total to 763,000 private-sector jobs that have been created this year.  This is the first time since December 2006 to July 2007, three years ago, of eight consecutive monthly gains in private-sector employment."

And I really like this article from NY Times, probably because it's titled "Glimmers of Hope for College Grads."  From the article,

"Liam O’Reilly, who just graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in history, said he had applied to 50 employers — to be a paralegal, a researcher for a policy organization, an administrative assistant — but he had gotten hardly any interviews. While continuing to search for something he truly wants, he has taken a minimum-wage job selling software that includes an occasional commission.  'Had I realized it would be this bad, I would have applied to grad school,' Mr. O’Reilly said." 

But to keep it all in perspective, not everyone is so optimistic.  Economics professor Casey Mulligan writes in another NY Times article,

"If previous seasonal patterns continue, much of that increase is expected to reverse itself by January. So, at first glance, there is no reason to get excited about the actual two million to three million increase."

So in this time of uncertainty, I think it's important to keep hope alive.  Isn't that one of our country's greatest attributes?  Hope and confidence in the face of all things difficult and scary?  So as I wish you all a very happy Labor Day - I'm also wishing you hope.  Don't stop believing that you'll find a job.  You will!

Sincerely, J