Sep022013
Posted at 9:00 AM
The first observance of Labor Day was likely on Sept. 5, 1882, when some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City for a parade. That celebration inspired similar events across the country, and by 1894 more than half the states were observing a "workingmen's holiday" on one day or another. Later that year, with Congress passing legislation and President Grover Cleveland signing the bill on June 29, the first Monday in September was designated "Labor Day." This national holiday is a creation of the labor movement in the late 19th century—and pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers.
- 155.7 million: Number of people 16 and over in the nation's labor foce in May 2013
- 84.7%: Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2011.
- 4.3%: Percentage of workers 16 and over who worked from home in 2011.
- 76.4%: Percentage of workers 16 and over who drove alone to work in 2011.
- 25.5 minutes: The average time it took workers in the U.S. to commute to work in 2011.
See more stats in the Census Bureau's Facts for Features