Congressman Thompson is a proponent of labor. He abhors ‘sweatshop’-like conditions that workers are subjected to in certain textile-producing firms and countries. He has supported increases in the minimum wage and ‘equal pay for equal work’ - pay equity with regard to race and gender. Thompson has seen a rapid increase in the demand for labor in his District, especially in the gaming industry. His aim has been at moving residents of the Second District into the upper-end - executive and management - jobs required for the industry.