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 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?
151 million
Number of people age 16 or older in the nation’s labor force in May 2006. Among the nation’s workers are 81.2 million men and 69.8 million women. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf>

Employee Benefits
82%
Percentage of full-time workers ages 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2004. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>

77%
Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one of their employment benefits. In addition:

• 77 percent of workers receive paid holidays.

• 14 percent have access to employer assistance for child care.

• 11 percent have access to long-term care insurance.

See Table 639, 2006 edition, <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/labor_force_employment_earnings/employment_benefits/>.

Another Day, Another Dollar
$40,798 and $31,223
The 2004 annual median earnings, respectively, for male and female full-time, year-round workers. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/005647.html>

$1,419
Average weekly wage in New York County, N.Y., for the third quarter of 2005, the highest among the nation’s 317 largest counties. Passaic County, N.J., led the nation in growth of average weekly wages the third quarters of 2004 to 2005, with an increase of 19 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 (gambling)	98,000
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists	738,000
Chefs and head cooks	317,000
Firefighters	243,000
Musicians, singers and related workers	213,000
Bakers	183,000
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	291,000
Service station attendants	100,000
Farmers and ranchers	827,000
Pharmacists	248,000
Teachers	6.8 million
(Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007)

7.5 million
Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters comprise 5 percent of the working population. Of these moonlighters, 3.9 million work full time at their primary job and part time at their other job. (Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007)

5.1 million
Number of state government employees nationwide as of March 2005.
<http://ftp2.census.gov/govs/apes/05stus.txt>

2.7 million
Number of civilian employees of the federal government as of December 2005.
<http://www.census.gov/govs/www/apesfed05.html>

When Do They Sleep?
There are about 294,000 moonlighters who work full time at both jobs. (Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007)

10.5 million
Number of self-employed workers.
(Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007)

20.4 million
Number of female workers in educational services, and health care and social assistance industries. Among men, 11.4 million were employed in manufacturing industries. (Source: American FactFinder)

28%
Percentage of workers 16 or older who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week.
See Table 590, 2006 edition, <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/labor_force_employment_earnings/employed_persons/>.

4
Median number of years workers have been with their current employer. About 10 percent of those employed have been with their current employer for 20 or more years. See Table 599, 2006 edition, <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/labor_force_employment_earnings/employed_persons/>.

5%
Percent of workers who work the evening shift (anytime between 2 p.m. and midnight). Another 3 percent work the night shift (anytime between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m). See Table 596, 2006 edition, <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/labor_force_employment_earnings/employed_persons/>.

15.5 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. See Table 649, 2006 edition, <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/labor_force_employment_earnings/work_stoppages_union_membership/>.

105,500
Number of jobs added in Maricopa County (Phoenix), Ariz., between September 2004 and September 2005, the highest of the nation’s 317 largest counties. Among these counties, Lee, Fla., experienced the highest rate of job growth, 11.4 percent. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf>

5 million
The number of people who work at home. (Source: American FactFinder)

The Long and Winding Road — to Work
38.4 minutes
The average time it takes to commute to work for residents of New York City, the most time-consuming commute among the 70 published cities with 250,000 or more people. (Source: American FactFinder)

58%
Percentage of workers 16 and older living in Aurora, Colo., who worked in a different county, one of the highest rates among the nation’s 70 published cities with 250,000 or more people. (Source: American FactFinder)