First Monday in September: Just Another Day?

The holiday is celebrated every year on the first Monday in September, but what does Labor Day signify? 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary.

By 1893, more than half the states were observing “Labor Day” on one day or another, and Congress passed a bill to establish a federal holiday in 1894, which was signed by President Grover Cleveland soon after, designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day. Here are some additional facts and information from the U.S. Census Bureau.                                                                           

Who are we celebrating?

153.2 million — The number of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in July 2011.

A look at the nation's jobs

• Teachers (preschool through grade 12) — 3,039,523
• Computer operators — 101,889
• Actors — 10,980
• Telephone operators — 32,394
• Bus drivers — 265,429
• Bakers — 117,405
• Telemarketers — 55,733
• Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists — 395,503
• Janitors and building cleaners — 1,478,204

Hot jobs

The projected percentage growth from 2008 to 2018 in the number of network systems and data communication analysts is 53 percent. 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, with 581,500.

For detailed information on the data force, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics.