As the Labor Day weekend ap­proaches, we will see adver­tisements for back-to-school sales, reports on holiday traffic deaths and recipes for backyard barbecues. 

What we won't see is much reporting on the lives of people who labor in "the nation's offices, factories arid service industries. There isn't much cover­age of how jobs are changing in America or of the growing gap in wealth between those who do the work and those who profit from it.

Issues of work and class are largely invisible, not just on Labor Day but year-round. Rarely do we see stories exploring important questions facing working families. For example:

• Why is the average entry-level wage at least one-fifth less than it was 20 years ago, with starting pay declin­ing even for new college graduates?
• What business strategies are lead­ing the shift to "contingent" labor - the part-time, temporary or subcon­tracted jobs that make up 30% of the work force?
• What has forced the average mar­ried couple to work 326 more hours a year than 20 years ago to maintain its buying power?