Labor Day is the nation's way of saluting the American workforce, a workforce that’s in a state of flux with the economy.

In LaVista, the city's pool offered one last swim and Eric Dauscher was grateful to have the day off work. "It's good. Things are moving up instead of moving down," he said.

The single father of an 8-year-old will head back to work Tuesday at Costco’s bakery counter. “You know it might be tough, but there's a lot of people that have it even tougher. At least I have a job. That's the best thing."

With less than half the national unemployment rate, an outsider may get the feeling all Nebraskans have it made. However, Channel 6 News spoke with several people Monday who have been looking for work for months. One, a laid-off nurse, says it’s particularly challenging for older workers.

Even younger workers, like part-time lifeguard Kelly Robinson of LaVista, are unsure of what lies ahead. "I'm kind of nervous when I get out of school that it's going to be hard to find a steady job."

Robinson hopes to make a future in secondary education. He’s in his junior year at U.N.O. His co-worker, Rob Cronican, is just starting out in college with the goal of becoming a firefighter. "Getting on is more with how many people you know, and so I've been making connections and stuff like that."

Connections or not, prospects of happiness in most jobs, look a little gloomy according to an annual survey by The Conference Board. A sampling of people at all income levels nationwide showed only 45% are satisfied with their current jobs.

That’s the lowest figure since 1987, when the survey began. Then, 61% of workers said they were satisfied with their jobs.

While celebrating Labor Day at Elmwood Park, there are things Jessi Gofta would change about her job as a karaoke d.j. "The hours,” she said. “It cuts into your social time." Her time on the job got tougher with extended bar hours.

A picnic table away, Erin DeArment's job is 24-7. She is a stay at home mom to a 3-year-old and 7-month-old. "Yeah, I really enjoy it," she said.

However, her role does come with sacrifice. Her husband supports the family, as a coffee barista. The people he works with are great, DeArment said. The money could be better.

"We don't have internet and we don't have cable. There's a lot of things we don't have. But we have a family that loves each other. Is it enough? It's enough for us."

Many we spoke with said they'd been making cut-backs with economic uncertainties. “If we don’t have it, we go without,” said Dauscher. “And my daughter understands that.”