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Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Labor Day Facts:
Minimum wages by state:
http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm
1909 – Trapper Boy, Turkey Knob Mine, Macdonald, W. Va. Boy had to stoop on account of low roof, photo taken more than a mile inside the mine. Earned 75¢ for a ten hour work day.
Who Are We Celebrating?
154.5 million
- Number of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in May 2008, including 82.6 million men and 71.9 million women.
Quote of the day: “Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.”
~Adam Smith
Employee Benefits
82% – Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2006.
77% – Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one of their employment benefits. In addition:
- 77 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: 2009, Table 634
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
1901- Emergency room nurses
Our Jobs
Americans work in a variety of occupations.
- Teachers 7.1 million
- Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists 778,000
- Chefs and head cooks 345,000
- Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 333,000
- Firefighters 288,000
- Roofers 269,000
- Pharmacists 247,000
- Musicians, singers and related workers 170,000
- Gaming industry (gambling) 111,000
- Tax preparers 104,000
- Service station attendants 90,000
- Logging workers 88,000
7.7 million – Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters comprise 5 percent of the working population. Of these, 4 million work full time at their primary job and part time at their other job.
When Do They Sleep? – There are about 288,000 moonlighters who work full time at both jobs.
10.4 million – Number of self-employed workers. Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 585
22 million – Number of female workers 16 and older in educational services, and health care and social assistance industries. Among male workers 16 and older, 11.5 million were employed in manufacturing industries.
28% – Percentage of workers 16 and older who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week.
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.
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.
15.6 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. North Carolina has one of the lowest rates, 3 percent.
73.5% – Size of labor force growth in Frisco, Texas, between 2000 and 2005, the highest among cities with populations of 25,000 or more. Frisco was followed by the fellow Texas cities of Cedar Park (growth of 66 percent) and McKinney (52.5 percent), then by Carmel, Ind. (49.9 percent) and Dania Beach, Fla. (45 percent).
74,700 – Number of jobs added in Harris County (Houston), Texas, between September 2006 and September 2007, the largest increase in employment among the nation’s 328 largest counties.
5.4 million – The number of people who work at home.
Another Day, Another Dollar
$42,261 and $32,515 – The 2006 annual median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round workers, respectively.
1939 – Migrant packinghouse workers crating celery. The amount of work depends on quantity of produce available. If many truckloads come in, they may work all night; otherwise, only an hour or two. If there is a frost (freeze-out) or drought, they may have to wait six or eight weeks for work in the next crop
$1,585 – Average weekly wage in Santa Clara County, Calif., for the third quarter of 2007, the highest among the nation’s 328 largest counties. Clayton, Ga., led the nation in growth of average weekly wages the third quarters of 2006 to 2007, with an increase of 24 percent to $919.
Hot Jobs
53% – Projected percentage growth from 2006 to 2016 in the number of network systems and data communication analysts. 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 registered nurses (587,000).
Early, Lonely and Long — the Commute to Work
16.7 million – Number of commuters who leave for work between midnight and 5:59 a.m. These early birds represent 13 percent of all workers.
76% – Percentage of workers who drove alone to work. Another 11 percent carpooled, and 5 percent took public transportation (excluding taxicabs).
30.9 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 30.6 minutes. The national average was 25.0 minutes.
3.1 million – Number of workers who face extreme commutes to work of 90 or more minutes each day.
53% – Percentage of workers 16 and older living in Virginia who worked and lived in different counties, the highest rate in the nation.
Know your rights as a worker:
http://www.doleta.gov/jobseekers/rights_as_worker.cfm
