It's the weekend when Americans are supposed to take a break from their labor. However, for a lot of Kansans this Labor Day Weekend is just another weekend with no job. For others, high gas prices are putting a damper on the holiday fun.
There's nothing like a family picnic to lift your spirits. That's where we found Darren Pruitt who faces the same crisis as thousands of other Kansans--he is unemployed.
"Everybody's struggling right now," Pruitt says.
A custodian by trade, Pruitt sees few options for him on the job market.
"Fifty-two years old--it's kind of hard to work in fast food," he says.
Pruitt is just hoping the economy takes a turn for the better, soon.
But it's not just the unemployed who feel less celebratory this holiday weekend. Fewer people in general are enjoying weekend getaways because of the expense. High unemployment and gas prices are the reasons AAA told us that this year we should expect lighter than normal Labor Day Weekend traffic.
Karen and Herman Hernandez are the exception, but for a very special reason.
"We are visiting my daughter that I gave up for adoption thirty-five years ago, and so we wanted to make the trip anyway," Karen says.
Although, their trip to Nebraska is putting a strain on the family budget.
"We're struggling, but we're making it," Herman says. "We'll make it through."
Karen adds, "We've had our ups and downs, our layoffs and tight squeezes, but you have to keep going, one day at a time."
