Gloomy jobs picture frames holiday

— -- A soggy, rainy weekend for much of the East Coast proved an appropriate mood for Labor Day events around the country as the nation's economy struggles.

In Detroit , President Obama previewed his jobs speech to be given Thursday night before a joint session of Congress, calling the financial plight of America's middle class the "central challenge that we face in our country today."

Obama indicated he will call for an extension of a payroll tax cut, as well as new road and bridge projects. He described these as ideas that "both parties" can agree on. "Labor is on board — business is on board," Obama said. "We just need Congress to get on board. Let's put America back to work."

The Service Employees International Union called out members of Congress for not using the weekend to listen to their constituents' tales of lost jobs as unemployment stands at 9.1%.

The Wausau (Wis.) Police Department even added extra security for Monday's Labor Day parade after organizers initially barred Republican legislators from the events because of their anti-union stance, then later reversed the decision. Wausau Police Lt. Mark Pankow said the extra officers were added "just in the event there is any trouble."

"This kind of goes back to old times, when Labor Day was more of a protest than a celebration," Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation President Jim Bertolone told a crowd before the start of a Labor Day parade in Upstate New York.

But people still did what they have done for decades on the unofficial end of summer by lighting up barbecues and going to parades.

In Hendersonville, N.C., the North Carolina Apple Festival signaled the start of apple harvesting with a weekend of tastings and the King Apple Parade on Monday. In Springfield, Mo., a parade featured a line of Corvettes, a UPS truck and Clydesdale horses pulling an American-flag-covered wagon. And while fewer Americans took long trips over the weekend, about 31.5 million people were expected to put together trips of more than 50 miles from their home, according to the AAA auto club.

Even some of the areas that were battered by Hurricane Irene more than a week ago managed to salvage the weekend in time for the beachgoing crowds.

"We had a very quick cleanup and were prompt in getting the word out," said Ocean City, Md., spokeswoman Donna Abbott. "We've had good bookings, good weather and good traffic, so it looks like we're going to have a good Labor Day weekend."