For many Americans, Labor Day is an extra day off work and a chance to enjoy the final days of summer for a long weekend with friends and family. We all have our Labor Day traditions, filled with everything from fireworks to boat rides.
You and your family may be driving a few hours to a family get together this weekend, traveling to grandma’s house over roads, highways, and bridges.
Others may be spending the weekend with friends in the city, enjoying one of the great shopping centers or museums it has to offer.
Maybe you’ll spend your weekend at a baseball game, inside your team’s expansive stadium.
Whatever you’re doing for Labor Day, every building you visit and every route you take to get there will help you make long-lasting, long weekend memories. But most of us don’t give a second thought to the work that went into these everyday amenities we enjoy.
Carpenters built the structure of each building you enter and cement masons were there to fill in those forms.
There were insulation workers who laid the foundation for comfortable temperature control and truck drivers who brought materials to the job site safely and efficiently.
These and many more skilled tradesmen and women are the people that build America. They use their craft and expertise to support our bustling, always-on-the-go society.
As we enjoy each building they helped create and safely travel on the roads they laid, let’s take a moment to give thanks to these hardworking men and women. They are the reason we all get to enjoy the freedom of a long weekend.
So, to all the men and women who have chosen a career in construction, we, at I Build America-Ohio, thank you. You are such a large part of the freedoms we enjoy, not only on Labor Day, but every day. From schools to offices and government buildings to event centers, we have an incredible community, local and national, thanks to your hard work.
Your career in construction is helping to build our communities, and that’s something you should be proud of. A career in construction is not only promising but honorable. Tradesmen and women across the country have made tremendous impacts on the lives of Americans. They are the reason for this holiday and make all of us proud as Ohioans and Americans.
We have many people to thank today. In fact, there are more than 225,000 construction workers employed in Ohio alone and nearly 9 million in the US as a whole. This industry is only expected to grow. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction is one of the fastest-growing occupations, predicted to grow 12% from 2016-2026.
For those of us not in the construction industry, let’s tell a worker “thank you” any time we pass a job site in honor of their work for the community this Labor Day and every day of the year.
To all of the men and women who are building this country and making us proud, thank you. We hope you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the day off you deserve. Have a fun and safe Labor Day!
