Labor Day, on the 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.
- 19th Century – 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.
- 1872 – 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.
- 1882 – 10,000 labor workers march through Union Square in New York to protest poor working conditions and low wages.
- 1887 – 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.
- 1894 – The decision to make Labor Day the first Monday of September was approved on June 28, 1894.
- 19th Century – Labor Day’s origin coincides with major shifts in garment workers’ rights. Strikes by textile workers in the late 19th century played a key role in unionizing efforts.
- 1916 -The Adamson Act was passed on September 3, 1916, to establish an eight-hour workday.
- 1955 – 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.
- 2009 – President Obama restores the rights of women to sue over pay discrimination with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
- 2015 – Labor Day weekend is considered one of the busiest weekends to travel. AAA says travel growth over this weekend has grown. In 2015, over 35.5 million people hit the road, 85.8 % by car.
- 2016 – The #LaborDay hashtag has been used on Instagram 1,457,057 times. Interestingly enough, the #KimKardashian hashtag has been used 4,294,598.
- 2017 – The United States Census found that 159.8 million people comprised the American labor force. The most popular jobs among them? Retail salespeople and cashiers.
- 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%
- 2018 – North and South Carolina have the lowest, with 2.7% in 2018.
- Who first proposed the holiday for workers? It’s not entirely clear, but two workers can make a solid claim to the Founder of Labor Day title.
- Some records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged.
- Many believe that machinist Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.
- The average American’s commute to work takes 25.8 minutes.
- 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 reports that Americans consume approximately 7 billion hot dogs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- Labor Day inspired several labor songs in the early 20th century. Songs like “Solidarity Forever” became anthems for workers’ rights.
- Labor Day is considered the ‘unofficial NFL season kickoff.’ 99.44 percent of the time, the NFL plays its first official season game on the Thursday after Labor Day.
- 162 million – the number of Americans (over 16) in the labor force.
- 40% – the percentage of U.S. workers who belonged to labor unions in the 1950s (that dropped to 11% by 2018).
- 86% – the percentage of Americans planning Labor Day weekend travel who will do so by car.
- 41% – the percentage of Americans who plan to barbecue over Labor Day Weekend.
- 818 – the number of U.S. hot dogs eaten every second from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- $685 – the average kid’s back-to-school expenses.
- $55,000 – the median U.S. household income.
- 80% – the percentage of Americans who would take time off if their boss were more supportive.
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