The unofficial end of summer is usually marked with picnics and parties.

"It's the one day out of the year we celebrate the accomplishments of the working men and women of this great nation," Local UAW President Brian Fredline said.

But this Labor Day, workers might find less to celebrate.

Monday Rutgers University released a national labor scorecard... one that paints a very grim picture for the American workforce.

According to the study, more than 10 percent of Americans are unemployed, underemployed or discouraged from work. That's up nearly 25 percent from a year ago.

And it says, the national minimum wage just isn't cutting it. With inflation, $6.55 an hour, is worth 40 cents less an hour than 10 years ago.

"They don't call it a minimum wage for nothing," Fredline said.

Fredline, president of Local UAW 602, said American workers are feeling the squeeze.

"The price of everything is going up," he said. "A lot of people are making minimum wage. In an 8 hour day, two hours of work goes to paying for gas to get to and from work."

And working farther into their retirements.

"Our workers are working later on in life and some are taking the buyouts, then going back to work," Fredline said.

"There are real difficulties for American workers today," John Revitte, professor of labor relations at MSU, said.

Revitte said globalization and new technologies are partially to blame.

"Technology changes here in the auto industry, we have 800 people doing a job, when we used to have three or four thousand." he said. "We can make as much with technological changes. It's a different world."

One that marks new challenges for the American worker.