It’s been an exceptionally difficult couple of years for the American worker. Layoffs have become ubiquitous, and the unemployment rate stands at a record high. Though recent weeks have brought reductions in the number of new jobless claims, the overall number of Americans drawing unemployment benefits continues to rise.

In addition, those of us who are lucky enough to keep our jobs are facing additional challenges at work. Reduced wages and benefits, shortened workweeks and the need to take on additional duties are all factors that millions of American workers face every day.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Labor Day was first celebrated in the late 1800s. ”Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation,” says the DOL website. Labor Day became a national holiday in the early 1900s.

All of us at Ceramic Industry would like to thank and congratulate American workers for doing the best they can in such a challenging economic climate. The DOL website puts it best: “The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership—the American worker.”