This Labor Day, Americans should reflect on our good fortune

SAN DIEGO >> In 2021, Labor Day is all about the “three r’s”: refugees, recalcitrance and resignations.

I usually use this holiday to engage in a fourth “r” — reflection about Americans’ diminishing work ethic and their growing sense of entitlement. The more education we get, the softer we become.

We assume that we’ll be able to work half as hard as our parents, and make twice the salary — if not more. There are many jobs that Americans consider beneath us, and we increasingly find the whole concept of work to be a drag.

All of this came into focus due to COVID-19, which last year put as many as 40 million

people on the unemployment line in the United States.

If massive job loss had been the big headline of 2020, then the major story of this year has to be the refugee.

In the spring and summer, thousands of Central Americans trekked to the United States and lined up at the U.s.-mexico border. And now thousands of equally desperate Afghans are being flown to the United States to start new lives — far away from the terror of the Taliban.

No matter where they come from, refugees don’t usually want handouts. All they ask for is the chance to work hard, punch a timecard and earn enough money to support their families. The same jobs that Americans pass up, refugees are happy to gobble up.

America is seen around the world as a safe haven that takes in people who never had a fair shake in their own countries and gives them a chance to succeed in a new one. It’s too bad that Americans sometimes have difficulty seeing their own country — this magical place — in that light.

Meanwhile, over the course of 18 months of battling the coronavirus, many Americans have proven to be a recalcitrant bunch of spoiled brats. Millions of them don’t like being told what to do, even if doing what they’re told saves their lives and the lives of fellow Americans.

Forget about “E pluribus unum” (Out of many, one). After a year of people thinking they’re smarter than the scientists and resisting COVID restriction protocols, the new national motto is: “You’re not the boss of me!”

Whereas it was once the case that people sought to be their own doctor, they’ve spent the last year trying to be their own epidemiologist. Nearly half the country has not been vaccinated, even though vaccines are free and readily available. And, every few days, you still hear stories about people winding up in a ruckus over someone being asked to wear a mask.

And how’s this for irony? A nation of people who are constantly insisting that immigrants and refugees must “follow the rules” to enter this country seems to have a defiant streak and a thirst for challenging authority.

These days, another thing that Americans are thirsty for is a proper work-life balance. Many of them appear to be reevaluating their relationship with the institution of work. And in the process, scores of employees are resigning from their jobs month after month.

More than a third of workers — 37% — are either thinking of leaving their jobs or are already making the move, according to a Yahoo Finance/harris Poll survey conducted in June.

And what economists and other observers are calling the “Great Resignation” will continue far into 2022.

According to the August edition of Bankrate’s monthly jobseeker survey, some 55% of people in the workforce — defined as those who are currently working or actively looking for employment — said they are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months.

It’s not shocking that so many Americans are leaving their jobs over the summer in search of something better. That’s the natural order. Whether they’re looking for higher pay, greater satisfaction or more flexible hours, all workers have the right to look for something better. But it is strange that, according to media reports, some people may be headed for the exit even if they have nothing else lined up. They don’t seem to care where they land. They just want out.

Isn’t that interesting? And here we have all these immigrants and refugees from difficult places who see America’s opportunities and all they can think about is how badly they want in.

This Labor Day, Americans could stand to bring our egos down a notch. We have a lot to learn about this entity called work, its costs and rewards. And immigrants and refugees are just the folks to teach us.