Labor Day this year will precede state and national initiatives on job creation.
A day after Monday's holiday observance, Missouri lawmakers will convene Tuesday for a special session on economic development.
Two days later, on Thursday, President Obama will unveil his job creation plan to a nationwide audience.
The president initially had planned the speech for Wednesday, but conceded to an objection from U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who complained the address would conflict with televised debate among GOP presidential hopefuls.
Obama's move to Thursday creates another conflict, this one with the kickoff of the National Football League season. The opening game will be a showdown between Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints.
The president's move raises the question: Is the GOP or NFL the tougher competitor in the battle for TV ratings?
The odds favor football.
Obama already has been criticized for tardiness in proposing a solution on the jobs issue. Unemployment hovers in the 9 percent range nationwide, and a report Friday that hiring remains stagnant prompted another plunge in the stock market.
The president's plan is expected to be, according to columnist Ann McFeatters (see White House Watch elsewhere on this page), "an intricate weave of job training, employer tax incentives, rebuilding the nation's infrastructure, extending the payroll tax cut past December, extending unemployment benefits and passing trade agreements." She adds: "Republicans will say that's exactly what should not happen."
Brace yourself for more disharmony in Washington, D.C.
Closer to home, the tune emanating from Missouri's Capitol may not be unified, despite exhortations from Gov. Jay Nixon and the business community.
Since Nixon's initial call for a special session on economic development based on anticipated consensus, some dissension has been sounded.
The addition of three other issues also has complicated what otherwise would have been a more singular focus.
This Labor Day, idled workers await workable solutions.