As we honor that past and look ahead to the future, we have much to celebrate on Labor Day 1999. Unemployment is at a 30-year low. We have created more than 19 million jobs since President Clinton and Vice President Gore entered office, more than 90 percent in the private sector. The sea of budget red ink has been turned to black. Wages are up.
Inflation is in check.
Productivity is rising. And it's a time for reflecting on what that prosperity and our work really mean. After all, work is much more than a paycheck. It is central to who we are and to how we define our society. Next to faith and family, work is perhaps the most important institution in our lives.