Census Bureau News Facts for Features Labor Day 2009: Sept. 7

WASHINGTON, July 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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 a "Labor Day" on
one day or another, and Congress passed a bill to establish a federal holiday
in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward,
designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

Who Are We Celebrating?
155.1 million
Number of people 16 and older in the nation's labor force in May 2009.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

Employee Benefits
83%
Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during
all or part of 2007.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States:
2007
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html

77%
Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one
of their employment benefits.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 634
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

Our Jobs

Americans work in a variety of occupations. Here is a sampling:

Occupation Number of employees
---------- -------------------

Teachers 7.2 million
Chief executives 1.7 million
Janitors and building cleaners 2.1 million
Computer software engineers 1.0 million
Aerospace engineers 137,000
Electricians 874,000
Registered nurses 2.8 million
Social workers 729,000
Clergy 441,000
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists 773,000
Chefs and head cooks 351,000
Customer service representatives 1.9 million
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 373,000
Firefighters 293,000
Roofers 234,000
Pharmacists 243,000
Machinists 409,000
Musicians, singers and related workers 186,000
Artists and related workers 213,000
Gaming services workers (gambling) 111,000
Tax preparers 105,000
Service station attendants 87,000
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers 751,000
Welding, soldering and brazing workers 598,000
Farmers and ranchers 751,000
Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010, Table
603 http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

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.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 589
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

288,000
When do they sleep? Number of moonlighters who work full time at two jobs.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 589
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

10.4 million
Number of self-employed workers.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 585
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

22.5 million
Number of female workers 16 and older in educational services, and health care
and social assistance industries. Among male workers 16 and older, 11.3
million were employed in manufacturing industries.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

28%
Percentage of workers 16 and older who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight
percent work
60 or more hours a week.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 582
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

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.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 591
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

10.3 million
Number of independent contractors.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 588
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

15.7 million
Number of labor union members nationwide. About 12 percent of wage and salary
workers belong to unions, with Alaska, Hawaii and New York having among the
highest rates of any state. North Carolina has one of the lowest rates, 3
percent.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 644
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

-10.8%
Percentage decline in employment in Elkhart County, Ind., between September
2007 and September 2008, the largest percentage decline among the nation's 334
largest counties. Maricopa, Ariz., posted the largest numerical job loss over
the period: 67,100.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf

3.2%
Percentage increase in employment in Yakima County, Wash., between September
2007 and September 2008, the largest percentage increase among the nation's
334 largest counties. Harris, Texas, posted the largest numerical job gain
over the period: 26,500.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf

5.7 million
The number of people who work at home.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

Another Day, Another Dollar
$45,113 and $35,102
The 2007 annual median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round
workers, respectively.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States:
2007
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html

$1,552
Average weekly wage in New York County (Manhattan), N.Y., for the third
quarter of 2008, the highest among the nation's 334 largest counties.
Rutherford, Tenn., led the nation in growth of average weekly wages the third
quarters of 2007 to 2008, with an increase of 17 percent ($124).
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewqtr.pdf

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).
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 598
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

Early, Lonely and Long -- the Commute to Work

17 million
Number of commuters who leave for work between midnight and 5:59 a.m. These
early birds represent 13 percent of all commuters.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

76%
Percentage of workers who drive alone to work. Another 10 percent carpool, and
5 percent take public transportation (excluding taxicabs).
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

31.5 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 31.1 minutes. The national average was 25.3
minutes.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

3.4 million
Number of workers who face extreme commutes to work of 90 or more minutes each
day.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

52%
Percentage of workers 16 and older living in Virginia who worked and lived in
different counties, the highest rate in the nation.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau's
Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February)
Super Bowl
Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)
Women's History Month (March)
Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
Older Americans Month (May)
Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
Mother's Day
Father's Day
The Fourth of July (July 4)
Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)
Back to School (August)
Labor Day
Grandparents Day
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Halloween (Oct. 31)
American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Thanksgiving Day
The Holiday Season (December)

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and
may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for
Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in
order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments
should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office:
telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: pio@census.gov.

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. Census Bureau's Public Information Office, +1-301-763-3030,
+1-301-763-3762 (fax), pio@census.gov