The first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City, but it wasn’t declared a federal holiday until 1894, during President Grover Cleveland’s term in office.
On the first Monday in September, Labor Day honors the social and economic contributions that the American workers made to the growth and prosperity of our country.
In the late 1880s, people commonly worked 12-hour days. The first Labor Day rally was in support of an eight-hour workday.
Here’s a sampling of American occupations and a bounty of fascinating facts!
Teachers 7.2 million
Chief executives 1.7 million
Janitors and building cleaners 2.1 million
Computer software engineers 1.0 million
Aerospace engineers 137,000
Electricians 874,000
Registered nurses 2.8 million
Social workers 729,000
Clergy 441,000
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists 773,000
Chefs and head cooks 351,000
Customer service representatives 1.9 million
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 373,000
Firefighters 293,000
Roofers 234,000
Pharmacists 243,000
Machinists 409,000
Musicians, singers and related workers 186,000
Artists and related workers 213,000
Gaming services workers (gambling) 111,000
Tax preparers 105,000
Service station attendants 87,000
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers 751,000
Farmers and ranchers 751,000
Fascinating Facts:
154.4 million
Number of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in May 2010.
Employee Benefits
83% – Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2008.
78%- Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one of their employment benefits.
The Commute to Work
17.7 million – Number of commuters who leave for work between midnight and 5:59 a.m. They represent 13 percent of all commuters.
76% – Percentage of workers who drive alone to work. Another 11 percent carpool and 5 percent take public transportation (excluding taxicabs).
25.5 minutes – The average time it takes people in the nation to commute to work. New York and Maryland had the most time-consuming commutes, averaging 31.6 and 31.5 minutes. (They are not significantly different from one another.)
3.5 million – Number of workers who face extreme commutes to work of 90 or more minutes each day.
Spread the fascinating word … NOT the icing!
Janice
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