The US economy is showing signs of fatigue, and experts are worried about the possibility of a recession.

There's a simple way for lawmakers to help the US avoid a recession: make a big investment in America's infrastructure.

Fixing and building roads, bridges, and ports will give thousands of Americans good-paying jobs and boost the economy.

Larry Willis is president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD).

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It was just a decade ago that the Great Recession — the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression — upended life for hundreds of millions of Americans. More than 8 million people across the country lost their jobs. Millions more lost their homes and life savings.

The economy has made steady improvements since 2008, but recovery has disproportionately favored wealthier Americans.

Even today, wages for low- and middle-income earners remain stagnant. Our manufacturing sector — traditionally a source of good middle-class jobs and an indicator of economic health — is facing serious problems.

The gap between the absurdly wealthy and those barely getting by continues to widen. And the trend among growing app-based businesses of undermining labor laws and misclassifying workers is only exacerbating this divide.

Now, with the stock market showing signs of volatility, and experts warning that another worldwide economic downturn could be on the horizon, working families have a right to be worried.

While no one can truly predict what the markets will do or know what the future holds, there are immediate steps lawmakers can take to both buffer against fear of an economic slowdown and rebalance America's economy in favor of working people. Chief among them: massive investments in our transportation system and infrastructure.

Building stronger infrastructure and creating better jobs

We know the needs are there. Mind-numbingly long lines at airports, soul-crushing commutes, broken buses and subway cars, and paralyzing congestion at our nation's seaports are all symptoms of gross underinvestment.

This affliction hurts everyone from farmers and factory workers to commuters, students, and business owners, and stunts economic growth.

Failure to adequately maintain our transportation network makes the US less competitive than the majority of our trading partners. It also costs American households more than $1,000 each year in wasted time, fuel, car repairs, and related expenses. If the economy is truly headed toward a slowdown, these problems are bound to only get worse.

Creating millions of middle-class jobs by rebuilding our country is a proactive step policymakers can take now to get ahead of any pending economic slide. Every $1 billion invested in transportation infrastructure creates more than 21,000 good jobs across multiple sectors of the economy, including construction, operations, maintenance, and design.

Furthermore, when federal dollars are paired with strong Buy America laws, which require buses, trains, steel, and other materials to be manufactured in the US, middle-class-job creation is maximized, and our manufacturing base is strengthened.

Unlike jobs in the growing on-demand economy — like those found in Amazon warehouses or through apps like Grubhub — positions found in transportation, infrastructure, and manufacturing are more likely to pay living wages, come with benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, and be stable.

That's in no small part because of the high union density and strong tradition of collective bargaining found in these sectors. In fact, at $38,480, the median annual wage paid by occupations in infrastructure is nearly $4,000 higher than the national median wage, and well above the poverty-level wages the on-demand economy is built around.

Finally, from a fiduciary standpoint, the time for investment is ripe. The cost of capital remains historically cheap. Investing now, when interest rates are low — and before the backlog of maintenance gets even worse — makes the best financial sense.

Lawmakers need to act

Despite what naysayers may say, there are clear paths forward:

When it comes to roads, bridges, and transit systems, we know a modest increase in the federal gas tax is an effective, efficient way to reverse decades of neglect.

The money to improve, expand, and make our ports the best in the world exists — it just needs to be spent out of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.

Fully funding our national passenger rail system will address a backlog of maintenance issues and ensure communities across the country have access to this vital transportation option for years to come.

Finally, our political leaders should commit to investing in transformative projects like a high-speed rail in California and the Gateway Program in the Northeast, which are both urgently needed but have become targets of petty politics.

We can put millions to work rebuilding our transit systems, airports, rail lines, roads, and bridges. We can cement America's status as a world economic leader. We can breathe new life into our middle class, boost our manufacturing sector, and provide a healthy counter to looming worldwide economic woes. The only question that remains is whether or not our elected leaders have the political courage to do what is right.

Larry Willis is president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), a labor organization consisting of 33 unions that together represent workers in all modes of transportation.