The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a “Labor Day” on one day or another, and Congress passed a bill to establish a federal holiday in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward, designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.
Who Are We Celebrating?
154.5 million
Number of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in May 2008, including 82.6 million men and 71.9 million women.
Our Jobs
Americans work in a variety of occupations. Here is a sampling:
employees28%
Percentage of workers 16 and older who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week.
4
Median number of years workers have been with their current employer. About 9 percent of those employed have been with their current employer for 20 or more years.
$42,261 and $32,515
The 2006 annual median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round workers, respectively.