Reimagining Labor on Labor Day
- Kamatara Johnson
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
As we've approached Labor Day this year, I've found myself reflecting: not only on the history of this holiday, but on the present and future of labor itself—especially for those working hard every day and still struggling to make ends meet.
Labor Day was established in the late 1800s to honor the contributions of American workers. The observance recognizes the labor movement’s fight for fair wages, safer working conditions, and the eight-hour workday. For many, it represented progress and dignity in work. But today, that 40-hour work week—a hard-won victory of earlier generations—feels more like a relic than a reality.
Here’s the truth: 40 hours isn’t enough anymore. And for many, it’s not even on the table.
Some jobs simply don’t pay a living wage. A person can work full-time—or more—and still not afford rent, childcare, transportation, or basic groceries. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a full-time worker must earn $25.82 per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment in the U.S. without spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The federal minimum wage is still $7.25.
Other workers are kept under 40 hours. Employers strategically schedule part-time hours to avoid offering health insurance or other benefits, even when employees are eager for more shifts. And for those navigating the gig economy, where algorithmic management replaces human supervisors, there’s no guarantee of hours at all—just a constant hustle, shifting rules, and precarious income.
We were told the “American Dream” was possible with hard work and personal responsibility. But our economy has changed, and the old rules don’t apply. The pathway I followed 30 years ago of getting a scholarship for college, working two jobs during college, and becoming a teacher who married another teacher…still led to being a member of the working poor. Nowadays, neither college nor a full time job alone guarantees a pathway to thriving.
One job should be enough. But too often, it isn’t.
Our Circle Leaders tell us stories of working multiple jobs, stitching together part-time roles, or turning to delivery apps just to cover monthly expenses. And they’re not alone. Millions of people are living this economic reality right now.
We must name this for what it is: a system that’s broken. Not because people aren’t trying—but because too many barriers are baked in. Otherwise hardworking people are unable to overcome massive obstacles, from the benefits cliff that punishes low-income workers for advancing, to unaffordable childcare/housing/transportation/food, to the myth that poverty is a personal failing instead of a systemic issue.
As labor scholar Sarah Jaffe writes, “Work won’t love you back.” And yet, millions of Americans give so much to their work—time, energy, care—and still can’t achieve stability, let alone prosperity.
At Circles USA, we believe in rewriting this story. Dignified labor starts with community. It continues with policy. And it requires all of us to speak up for an economy that serves people—not the other way around.
This Labor Day, let’s move beyond BBQs and retail sales. Let’s recommit to what labor should mean: dignity, security, and fairness.
Here are a few ways you can take action:
Support local and national policies that raise the minimum wage, expand benefits, and eliminate benefit cliffs.
Uplift worker voices—especially those in low-wage or gig work—by sharing their stories and advocating for systemic change.
Join or support organizations like Circles USA that are building grassroots movements to end poverty, one relationship at a time.
We don’t need to go back to the old American Dream—we need to co-create a new one. One rooted in equity, care, and the reality that all people deserve to thrive, not just survive.
In Solidarity,
Kamatara Johnson
Executive Director, Circles USA
Building Community to End Poverty in 25 States
