I've sometimes found it weird that the U.S. and Canada set aside the first Monday in September to honor their workforces. For many, Labor Day is not so much a pause to celebrate labor as much as it is the unofficial end of summer, the time when most families take vacations from work and the kids stay home from school.

To many, Labor Day represents more of an end than a beginning: Summer's over,  so it's time to get more serious about work and—for students—classroom work.

Some celebration of those who work, huh?

Given that the nation's unemployment rate is still somewhere between 9 and 10 percent, this Labor Day may not give the U.S. workforce, both employed and unemployed, much pause to think about what's good about their jobs or their chosen professions.

But at the same time, many employers are emerging from a traditional summer slowdown, even planning budgets for 2011. So, if you're a job seeker, it's a good time to step up your efforts and make sure your resume is up to date.

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