(OSV News) ─ This year's Sept. 7 observance of Labor Day underscores Pope Leo XIV's call to be "builders of communion" while safeguarding human dignity, as artificial intelligence "reshapes our economy and our work," said Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky.
The archbishop reflected on the nature of work and labor in a Sept. 1 statement, speaking in his role as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
First established in New York City in 1882, the annual holiday ─ which developed from labor activist movements of the late 19th century ─ "is an opportunity to celebrate workers and honor the dignity of work," said Archbishop Fabre.
He stressed that "work is more than a way to make a living," but rather ─ as Catholic teaching affirms ─ "a form of participation in God's creation."
In his message, the archbishop drew particular attention to "young people and vulnerable communities who face uncertainty in today's economy."
While "traditional economic indicators tell us the economy is growing," hiring itself "has slowed, especially for unemployed workers," and "unemployment remains high for Black workers," said Archbishop Fabre, citing a June analysis from the Washington-based Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
Pointing to research from Washington University, the archbishop said that "roughly one-quarter of the labor force are low-wage workers," with 72% percent lacking stable jobs.
In addition, the Urban Institute's WorkRise initiative has found that people of color make up more than half of the low-wage workforce, the archbishop said.
The economic landscape directly impacts decisions on childbearing. Archbishop Fabre observed that a 2025 Brigham Young University survey found "more than 70% of Americans believe having children is unaffordable, an increase of 13 points in just the last year."
Archbishop Fabre highlighted "widespread concern" that artificial intelligence "will lead to higher unemployment and to fewer jobs that can support a family."
Young people, he said, "have been the most impacted so far and also experience the most anxiety about AI's impact on their work."
"We must listen to the experiences of workers, families, young people, and communities of color as they struggle to find stability," said Archbishop Fabre.
The archbishop emphasized the timeliness and importance of "Magnifica Humanitas," Pope Leo's May 2026 encyclical, which stressed the primacy of Catholic social teaching and human dignity in the development and application of AI.
The encyclical, which affirmed longstanding papal teachings on labor and the common good, warns that "although AI presents new opportunities, it also risks normalizing a vision that is anti-human," said Archbishop Fabre.
"Pope Leo expressly acknowledges the great risks of AI for workers: de-skilling, surveillance, rigid and repetitive tasks, reduced agency and creativity, unemployment, job insecurity, concentrated power, and increased inequalities," said the archbishop. "Furthermore, AI relies on low-wage workers, who are often hidden and who endure harsh conditions, caught in an exploitative supply chain."
Archbishop Fabre admitted that humanity faces a difficult and "daunting" task in grappling with AI's sweeping impacts on labor.
Among the challenges are the need "to ensure just development of AI systems, with worker participation, transparency and accountability; to protect good jobs, offer retraining where needed, and correct the power imbalances that are exacerbated by technology," he said.
"And yet, we have been here before," he said, noting that Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical "Rerum Novarum," written in response to the Industrial Revolution, has helped the Church to bring "the sacredness of the human person to the questions of work and labor for these last 135 years."
Archbishop Fabre also referenced the USCCB's 1986 pastoral letter, "Economic Justice for All," which is now marking its 40th anniversary.
"Much of the teaching of this document remains relevant for our shared project in the United States," said Archbishop Fabre. "As we confront this latest challenge, we invite all to be partners in this work."
That partnership -- spanning "the Church, government, labor unions, civil society groups, corporations, and others" ─ will help ensure that "innovation and development is for the benefit of all, not just a few, and that each person can contribute to the Kingdom of God through their work," said Archbishop Fabre.
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Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
