Labor Day By The Numbers
2:46 AMPosted by: John S Kiernan
Labor Day in the 21st century is all about beaches, BBQs, ballgames and buying things. This year, for example, 25% of Americans plan to get out of town for Labor Day weekend. Nearly 128.5 million will enjoy a cookout. Thousands will pack college football stadiums. And the average Labor Day weekend shopper will spend $58 in the process, according to WalletHub’s survey.
But it hasn’t always been that way. Labor Day’s roots can be traced back to the streets of 1880s New York City, where rival union leaders joined forces to protest the unfair labor practices that plagued industry at the time. Other areas soon joined the fight, drawn by high-profile incidents such as the deaths of 30 workers at the hands of federal officials during the infamous Pullman Strike. As a result, 30 states actually celebrated Labor Day before it became a federal holiday in 1894.
This is not meant to take the wind from your sails as you enjoy one last dip in the summer sun, but rather to help you cherish Labor Day weekend even more. Its place on the calendar is uniquely American – most other countries celebrate labor in May. And there’s ample reason for celebration, considering that the industrial fatality rate has fallen by roughly 97% since the early 1900s, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
So with that in mind, WalletHub gathered all the Labor Day fun facts we could find to create this infographic, which should both entertain and educate you. You can also check out the Ask the Experts section that follows for a panel discussion on the many facets of Labor Day.
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To gain a better understanding of the biggest issues facing workers today and how they’re likely to evolve in the near future, we posed the following questions to a panel of leading labor experts. You can check out their bios and responses below.
- What are the biggest threats facing working people today?
- How is the “Gig Economy” changing the nature of work? Should “Gig Economy” workers be treated like traditional employees or do we need new labor regulations for this growing sector?
- What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers?
- How likely is it that Congress will pass new supports for workers, including an increase in the Federal minimum wage or mandatory paid family medical leave?
- What tips do you have for people that are planning a getaway for the Labor Day weekend?
Petra E. Todd Alfred L. Cass Term Professor of Economics and Research Associate of the Population Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania
Linda Wilcox Young Chair and Professor of Economics at Southern Oregon University
Stuart Eimer Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Widener University
William M. Boal Professor of Economics in the College of Business & Public Administration at Drake University
Douglas Webber Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Economics, and Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor at Temple University
Gary Wolfram
Carolyn Middleton Plump Assistant Professor of Business Law in the School of Business at La Salle University
Michael Wenz Associate Professor and Coordinator in the Department of Economics at Northeastern Illinois University
Stacey Jones Senior Instructor in the Department of Economics at Seattle University
Dave Surdam David. W. Wilson Business Ethics Fellow and Professor of Economics at the University of Northern Iowa




- Automatic enrolment in retirement plans (401k and the like);
- Paid family leave;
- Crackdown on unfair labor practices under the National Labor Relations Act.






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