November 19, 2007 4:18 PM

For some, Thanksgiving means work
Posted by Douglas Eisenhartat 4:18 PM

Many things come to mind when we think of Thanksgiving - food, family, and football, to name the Three Fs. Probably the big W - work - does not come to mind.

But if you think about it, many people will be working over this holiday break. Those in the travel industry for a start. And, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics points out, those in another industry work on Thanksgiving Day:

For many, Thanksgiving is about watching sports on television. Considering the millions of people who watch spectator sports, it’s interesting to note how few employees —athletes, coaches, referees, food preparers, cashiers, and others — work in the spectator sports industry. Nationwide, there were about 131,000 jobs in the spectator sports industry in 2006; this is about one-tenth of one percent of total private industry employment. The nation’s largest metropolitan areas generally have the most employees in spectator sports.

There's another category of holiday workers whose ranks bulge at this time of year:

The day after Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the holiday shopping season and has been hailed as one of the busiest shopping days of the year. While many Americans shop, others work in temporary jobs during the holiday season. In a pattern that is seen year after year, many retail trade industries hire additional seasonal employees beginning in November.

Check it all out, courtesy of the US Department of Labor, with plenty of nifty graphics, too.

For the vast majority of us who will not be working on this holiday weekend, count yourself lucky. And although you may not feel very thankful for your current job, you might want to say a word of thanks for that, too. After all, where would you be without it? It puts the turkey on the table and the heat in the oven. Many, many around the world would be envious of these simple comforts, comforts that we might take for granted.

So travel safely, wherever you may be going, near or far. Enjoy your food, family, and (if you watch), football. From all of us at Boston.com/Monster, have a Happy Thanksgiving.