Labor Day on first Monday of every September recognizes the men and women who labor to build this country. Through a time-honored tradition with roots in the coordinated efforts of the labor movement of the 1800s, we salute the American workforce.
- On September 5, 1882, Labor Day first honored workers in New York City. The observance later moved to the first Monday in September in 1884. However, the observance wasn’t officially recognized by any government entity until 1885 when a municipal ordinance was passed.
- 10,000 workers marched from City Hall all the way to 42nd Street and then met with their families in Wendel’s Elm Park for a picnic, concert, and speeches.
- Canada is said to have originated the idea of hosting a day honoring the labor movement. In 1872, they held a “Nine-Hour Movement” to show support for striking workers.
- Interestingly, Oregon recognized the day in 1887 before New York state’s bill passed. As more states recognized the observance, its popularity grew. Then, in 1894, Congress declared the day to be a national observance.
- Peter McGuire is considered the Father of the Labor Day holiday.
- The decision to make Labor Day the first Monday of September was approved on June 28, 1894.
- The Adamson Act was passed on September 3, 1916 to establish an eight-hour work day.
- Historians say the expression “no white after Labor Day” comes from when the upper class would return from their summer vacations and stow away their lightweight, white summer clothes as they returned back to school and work.
- The average American’s commute to work takes 25.8 minutes.
- The United States Census found that 159.8 million people made up the American labor force, as of May 2017. The most popular jobs among them? Retail salespeople and cashiers.
- It’s the third most popular day of the year to have a cookout. It falls behind Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, according to a consumer survey by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.
- Labor Day marks the end of peak hot dog season. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says Americans consume about 7 billion hot dogs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- Labor Day is considered the ‘unofficial NFL season kickoff.’ 99.44 percent of the time, the NFL plays its first official season game the Thursday after Labor Day.
- The first Waffle house opened on Labor Day. In 1955, in Avondale Estates, GA, the very first Waffle House opened its doors to the public.
- Labor Day weekend is considered one of the busiest weekends to travel. AAA‘s says travel growth over this weekend has grown. Last year, 2015, over 35.5 million people hit the road, 85.8 % by car.
- In 2016, #LaborDay hashtag has been used on Instagram 1,457,057 times. Interesting enough, the #KimKardashian hashtag has been used 4,294,598.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 14.8 million union members in the workforce in 2017. There were 17.7 million in 1983.
- In 2018, Hawaii and New York have the highest rate of union workers among the states: Hawaii with 23.1% and New York with 22.3%.
- North and South Carolina have the lowest, with 2.7% in 2018.
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