It is Labor Day in the US. What do we really have today? For most, it is a holiday. For me, it is also a reminder of how we see and value work.
For more than a decade, I have worked with global organizations, many of them US-based. So Labor Day is not just a headline I scroll past. It shapes schedules, timelines, and the conversations I have about purpose and pay. It affects my professional life and, in many ways, my personal one too.
Why careers are more than passion or paycheck
Choosing a career is not only about passion or paycheck. It is about finding the intersection between your personal values and your professional goals, and then grounding that in reality.
Yes, you should care about the work.
Yes, it should feel aligned with who you are.
But also:
✔️ The job market matters.
✔️ Financial stability matters.
✔️ Generational shifts in how we define success and purpose matter too.
For many of us, it is no longer about chasing a “dream job.” It is about designing a meaningful path that fits who we are and the world we live in.
The sweet spot is where what you believe, what you are good at, and what the world needs actually meet.
A closer look at work right now
A few signals that shape how people choose and keep jobs:
- Openings have cooled while layoffs remain low. US job openings fell in mid-2025 giving job seekers about 24 weeks on average to find a new position. Most companies have been reluctant to cut staff, which points to a cautious but steady labor market.
Read more: Reuters on the June JOLTS data, Wall Street Journal on slow hiring - Engagement and wellbeing are under pressure. Gallup’s 2024 global report found only 21% of employees are engaged at work, and wellbeing declined year over year. Lost productivity tied to disengagement costs the global economy an estimated $8.8 trillion.
Read more: Gallup press release, Business Insider summary of Gallup: - Careers are shifting quickly. LinkedIn reports that 70% of workplace skills will change by 2030, with professionals adding 140% more new skills to their profiles since 2022. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index found that 75% of knowledge workers use AI daily, but most leaders lack clear strategies to manage it.
Read more: LinkedIn in-demand jobs study, Microsoft Work Trend Index
These are not abstract trends. They show up in decisions about staying, leaving, reskilling, and how we judge whether work is worth it.
What this means for me
When I look at my own path, I see the same balance at work. I started with a simple idea that a corporate job was the way out of poverty. I studied Business for that reason. The tools stuck. Strategy, management, and critical thinking still shape what I do. But I chose the impact space because that is where my values and skills meet real needs.
My “sweet spot” is where values, skills, and the world’s needs overlap. That is where work feels less like compromise and more like alignment.
Why write about a US holiday from the Philippines
Labor Day is American in origin, but its lessons travel. It began as a tribute to workers and a push for dignity and rights. That history still matters.
Read more: AP explainer on Labor Day’s roots and meaning
I am based in the Philippines and have spent much of my career working with US organizations. The conversations around work, equity, learning, and wellbeing cross borders. They influence hiring, program design, and the way teams show up for each other. So this day is relevant to me, not only in calendar terms, but in the values it asks us to consider.
Questions worth sitting with
- Does my work reflect who I really am?
- Does it allow me to live the kind of life I value?
- Does it align with the realities of today’s world of work?
Labor Day may be a US holiday, but the reflection it invites is global. Less about labels, more about alignment. Less about what sounds good, more about what fits and lasts.