The
first observance of Labor Day
is believed to have been a parade on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York
City, probably 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 a
bill to establish a federal holiday was passed by Congress in
1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward,
designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.
Who
Are We Celebrating?
149.1 million
Number of people age 16 or older in the nation’s labor force
in May 2005. Among the nation’s workers are 80.0 million men
and 69.1 million women. These men and women represent 66 percent
of the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
Employee
Benefits
82%
Percentage of full-time workers age 18 to 64 covered by health
insurance during all or part of 2003. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/002484.html
79%
Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation
as one of their employment benefits. In addition –
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html
Salary
& Wages -
Another
Day, Another Dollar
$40,668 and $30,724
The annual median earnings, respectively, for male and female
full-time, year-round workers in 2003. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/002484.html
$1,327
Average weekly wage in New York County, N.Y., for the third quarter
of 2004, the highest among the nation's 317 largest counties.
St. Joseph County, Indiana led the nation in growth of average
weekly wages over the third quarter 2003-2004 period, with an
increase of 10.4 percent.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf
Our
Jobs
Americans work in a wide variety of occupations. Here is a sampling:
| Occupation
|
Number
of employees |
| Gaming
services workers |
85,000 |
| Hairdressers,
hairstylists and cosmetologists |
718,000 |
| Chefs
and head cooks |
281,000 |
| Firefighters
|
258,000 |
| Musicians,
singers and related workers |
179,000 |
| Bakers
|
183,000 |
| Taxi
drivers and chauffeurs |
286,000 |
| Service
station attendants |
96,000 |
| Farmers
and ranchers |
825,000 |
| Pharmacists
|
232,000 |
|
Teachers |
6.5
million |
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html
7.3
million
Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters
comprise 5 percent of the working population. Of these moonlighters,
3.8 million work full time at their primary job and part time
at their other job, and about 293,000 work full time at both jobs.
See Table 590, 2004-2005 edition, http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html
10.3
million
Number of self-employed workers.
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html
20.3
million
Number of female workers in educational, health and social services
industries. More women work in this industry group than in any
other. Manufacturing was the most popular industry among men,
with 11.3 million workers.
28%
Percentage of workers 16 or older who work more than 40 hours
a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week.
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html
15.8
million
Number of labor union members nationwide. About 13 percent of
wage and salary workers belong to unions, with New York having
among the highest rates of any state — 25 percent. North
Carolina has one of the lowest rates, 3 percent. Table 640, 2004-2005
edition, http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html
58,600
Number of jobs added in Maricopa County (Phoenix), Arizona, between
September 2003 and September 2004, the highest of the nation's
317 largest counties. Among these counties, Rutherford, Tennessee
experienced the highest rate of job growth, 9.2 percent. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf
4.5
million
The number of people who work at home.
The
Long and Winding Road — to Work
24.3 minutes
The average time it takes to commute to work. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_
acs/004489.html
Of the 233
counties with populations of 250,000 or more, Queens (41.7 minutes),
Richmond (41.3 minutes), Bronx (40.8 minutes) and Kings (39.7
minutes) – four of the five counties that comprise New York
City – experienced the longest average commute-to-work times.
Workers living in Prince William County, Va. (36.4 minutes); and
Prince George’s County, Md. (35.5 minutes) – suburban
counties located within the Washington, D.C., metro area –
also faced some of the longest commutes.
More
Than 100 hours
The amount of time the average American spends commuting to work
each year. (This exceeds the typical two weeks of vacation time
taken by many U.S. workers over the course of a year.) Source
for the first sentence: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/004489.html
2.0%
Percentage of workers nationwide who face “extreme”
commutes to work – that is, they spend 90 or more minutes
traveling to their jobs.
Among the
10 counties with the highest-average commuting times, the highest
percentages
of extreme commuters were found in the New York City metro area:
Staten Island, N.Y. (11.8 percent);
Orange, N.Y. (10.0 percent);
Queens, N.Y. (7.1 percent);
Bronx, N.Y. (6.9 percent);
Nassau, N.Y., (6.6 percent);
Kings, (Brooklyn) N.Y. (5.0 percent).