Today we celebrate the American worker

The Labor Day weekend has traditionally marked the start of the presidential campaign, but not this year. The campaign began months ago, and many Americans can't wait for it to be over. And it will, in less than two months.
But until then, we need to pay close attention to what President Bush and his Democratic challenger, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, have to say about the issues that most affect us, foremost of which are the war on global terrorism and the economy. The presidential debates will enable voters to discern the differences between the two candidates and their vision for the future.
Today, however, as we pay homage to the 147.9 million Americans who make up the national workforce, it is appropriate to take stock of the economy.
In accepting his party's nomination Thursday at the Republican National Convention, Bush said, "Our economy is growing again and creating jobs."
By contrast, in his nomination acceptance speech last month, Kerry contended that under Bush's watch, 2.6 million jobs have been lost and the ones being created pay less and offer fewer benefits.
Who's right? We hope the Republican and Democratic nominees will use the remaining weeks of the campaign to defend their positions with facts and figures.
Low-paying industries
According to a report by the Associated Press based on Labor Department statistics, the new jobs are concentrated in health care, food service and temporary employment firms, all lower-paying industries. "Temp agencies alone account for about a fifth of all new jobs," the report states. And it quotes Sun Won Sohn, chief economist for Wells Fargo, as saying, "Three in five [new jobs] pay below the national median hourly wage -- $13.53."
The AP story also notes that on a weekly basis, the average wage of $525.84 is at the lowest level since October 2001.
Technology has eliminated many U.S. jobs, as has global competition, particularly from low-wage countries such as China.
Highly skilled, educated workers in America will thrive as demand rises, Wells Fargo economist Sohn says, while low-skilled jobs will remain vulnerable to outsourcing.
The Mahoning Valley, which still has not fully recovered from the collapse of the steel industry more than 20 years ago, bears the scars of all the changes that are taking place in the workplace. The once booming manufacturing region must now contend with the loss of jobs to low-wage countries and the challenges that abound in changing the structure of the labor force.
President Bush and Sen. Kerry must clearly explain how each one's economic policies will solve the kinds of problems that have plagued regions like the Valley for years.
On Labor Day a year ago, we warned in this space that a new threat was emerging with technical and service jobs being exported.
"We wish we knew the answer to this job-drain problem. But we don't. Nobody does," our editorial stated. "But we do know that government, industry and just plain folks better start talking about this issue and looking for answers before it's too late."
Today, we issue that challenge directly to Bush and Kerry: Tell us in plain language how you intend to stop the job-drain problem.