Monday, September 3 is Labor Day. This federal holiday recognizes the contributions of America’s 155 million workers. Hispanics represents 15% of the labor force with most (24.4%) employed in the construction industry followed by health and social services (10.9%). While 6.3% of Latinos self-employed and the fastest growing segment of small-business owners.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census the real median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round workers, is $47,715 and $36, 931, respectively.
As Hilda Solis marks her fourth Labor Day as Secretary of Labor, she noted: “I’m inspired by job seekers from all walks of life in this country going back to school and upgrading their skills to match the demands of a 21st century global economy. I’m impressed by communities coming together and new partnerships being formed among employers, labor unions and community colleges. And I’m reminded that for this federal agency and this administration, Labor Day has been, and will always be, every single day.”
