Grateful for labor on holiday weekend

Monday, many East Tennesseans enjoyed a day off from their jobs in celebration of Labor Day, but some reported to work as usual.

For those who work in the county with Tennessee's highest unemployment rate, however, working on a holiday may not be so bad.

Scott County's July unemployment rate was 19.6 percent. Almost 1 in 5 workers are out of a job.

Last July, the rate was just 11.8 percent.

Those are numbers Rosalee Marlow says affect her attitude about cooking and stocking shelves at D.J.'s Pit Stop on Labor Day, while her neighbors were at home.

"Nearly everybody is out of work. Right now this is a poor county," Marlow said.

Across Huntsville from D.J.'s Pit Stop, the rumble of ATV motors signaled business as usual at Brimstone Recreation.

"We have a lot of people, you know. This is their day off from work, and this is our busiest time, on holidays," said Erika Schmelter, whose family owns Brimstone Recreation.

As nearby businesses close down, Schmelter says the holiday means laboring to keep theirs moving at full speed.

"You do work a lot harder to keep the customers coming back," she said.

For both Schmelter and Marlow, work, even on Labor Day, carries with it a deeper sense of gratitude.

"I'm just glad to have a job," Marlow said.

"You do feel very blessed to have a job and still have the opportunity to come to work," Schmelter said.