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?
152.8 million
Number of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in May
2007. In the nation’s labor force are 82.1 million men and 70.7
million women. <
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf>
Employee Benefits
82%
Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance
during all or part of 2005. (Source:
Income, Poverty, and Health
Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005, at <
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html>
77%
Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation
as one of their employment benefits. In addition:
- 76 percent of workers receive paid holidays.
- 15 percent have access to employer assistance for
child care.
- 12 percent have access to long-term care insurance.
- 71 percent have access to medical care, 46 percent
to dental care, 29 percent to vision care and 64 percent to outpatient
prescription drug coverage.
(Source: Upcoming
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008)
Another Day, Another Dollar
$41,386 and $31,858
The 2005 annual median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round
workers, respectively. (Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance
Coverage in the United States: 2005, at <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html>)
$1,421
Average weekly wage in New York County, N.Y., for the third quarter
of 2006, the highest among the nation’s 325 largest counties.
Kent County, R.I., led the nation in growth of average weekly wages
the third quarters of 2005 to 2006, with an increase of 18 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 |
Teachers |
6.8 million |
Farmers and ranchers |
784,000 |
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists |
767,000 |
Chefs and head cooks |
313,000 |
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
282,000 |
Firefighters |
253,000 |
Pharmacists |
245,000 |
Roofers |
242,000 |
Musicians, singers and related workers |
203,000 |
Gaming services workers (gambling) |
106,000 |
Tax preparers |
98,000 |
Service station attendants |
96,000 |
(Source: Upcoming
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008)
7.6 million
Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters
comprise 5 percent of the working population. Of these moonlighters,
4 million work full time at their primary job and part time at their
other job. (Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United
States: 2008)
When Do They Sleep?
There are about 310,000 moonlighters who work full time at both jobs.
(Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008)
10.6 million
Number of self-employed workers.
(Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008)
21.1 million
Number of female workers 16 and older in educational services, and health
care and social assistance industries. Among male workers 16 and older,
11.4 million were employed in manufacturing industries. (Source: 2005
American Community Survey)
28%
Percentage of workers 16 and older who work more than 40 hours a week.
Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week. (Source: Upcoming Statistical
Abstract of the United States: 2008)
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. (Source: Upcoming
Statistical Abstract of the
United States: 2008)
10.3 million
Number of independent contractors. Other workers with alternative work
arrangements include 2.5 million on-call workers, 1.2 million temporary
help agency workers and 813,000 workers provided by contract firms.
(Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008)
15.4 million
Number of labor union members nationwide. About 12 percent of wage and
salary workers belong to unions, with Hawaii and New York having among
the highest rates of any state — 25 percent and 24 percent, respectively.
South Carolina has one of the lowest rates, 2 percent. (Source: Upcoming
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008)
79,400
Number of jobs added in Harris County (Houston), Texas, between September
2005 and September 2006, the largest increase in employment among the
nation’s 325 largest counties. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf>
4.8 million
The number of people who work at home. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/010230.html>
Hot Jobs
56%
Projected percentage growth from 2002 to 2014 in the number of home
health aides. Forecasters expect this occupation to grow at a faster
rate than any other. Meanwhile, the occupation expected to add more
positions over this period than any other is retail salespeople (736,000).
(Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008)
Early, Lonely and Long — the Commute to
Work
15.9 million
Number of commuters who leave for work between midnight and 5:59 a.m.
These early birds represent 12 percent of all workers. (Source: 2005
American Community Survey)
77%
Percentage of workers who drove alone to work. Another 11 percent car
pooled, and 5 percent took public transportation (excluding taxicabs).
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/010230.html>
31.2 minutes
The average time it takes to commute to work for residents of New York
state. New York residents had the most time-consuming commute in the
nation, followed by that of Maryland residents with 30.8 minutes. The
national average was 25.1 minutes. (Source: 2005 American Community
Survey)
3 million
Number of workers who face extreme commutes to work of 90 or more minutes
each day. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
53%
Percentage of workers 16 and older living in Virginia who worked in
a different county, the highest rate in the nation. (Source: 2005 American
Community Survey)