This year, Labor Day falls on Monday, September 2.
As well as providing an extra day to enjoy the last vestiges of summer, Labor Day also recognizes the hard work and dedication of employees across the nation by granting many of them the day off from their day job.
You might be surprised to learn that a day of rest and relaxation was exactly what President Lyndon B. Johnson had in mind when he signed the Uniform Holiday Bill into law in 1968 — an assurance that Labor Day would always be on a Monday, affording workers and their families a three-day weekend to enjoy some downtime.
It's a Labor Day fact you might not know, along with this bit of trivia:
Though it was President Johnson who guaranteed the holiday would always be on a Monday, President Grover Cleveland is the one who actually declared Labor Day a national holiday back in 1894.
If you like those Labor Day facts, we've got plenty more trivia where that came from. In fact, we've got a whole host of fascinating details on the holiday that you probably don't know.
Among them: Whether or not it's OK to wear white after Labor Day, a list of celebrities who have Labor Day birthdays and which Labor Day hurricane made history in 1935.
Whatever your Labor Day plans are in 2024 — whether it's squeezing in one last beach day or heading to the mall to do some back-to-school shopping — bring these Labor Day facts along to keep friends and family entertained.
Either way, make sure to take some well-deserved time to kick back and relax because, in the end, that's what Labor Day is all about.
Can you wear white after Labor Day?
This supposed remnant of high society has long since gone by the wayside. During a segment on the 3rd Hour of TODAY, lifestyle expert Kathy Buccio explained that when it comes wearing white after Labor Day, there are no rules.
“You can wear all the white in the world that you want,” Buccio said on the show.
But how did this outdated fashion commandment become a thing to begin with?
According to Emily Post, those who could afford to vacation during the hot summer months left their “city clothes” behind in favor of “light, whiter, summer outfits.” Once autumn arrived, those leisure clothes were put away and “more formal city clothes” were once again worn.
Hollywood stylist and Dhstyle Inc. CEO, Dana Asher-Levine, tells Shop TODAY that the old-fashioned sentiment might likely have arisen, in part, from simple logistics.
“Many years ago, shopping was very seasonal. You bought clothes for fall, holidays and spring and summer,” Asher-Levine says. “White was never available in the winter months. Now with fast fashion, collections changing monthly, white is a staple color year-round.”
The origins of “labor”
The word “labor” comes from the Latin word “labor” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Clearly, not much has changed at all about the word through the centuries.
Defined as an “expenditure of physical or mental effort especially when difficult or compulsory” the first-known use of the word dates back to the 14th century. Some of the most common phrases associated with the word are: labor union, hard labor, division of labor and labor-intensive.
New Jersey is home to the American Labor Museum
Once home to Pietro Bozzo, a silk mill worker back in the early 1900s, this Haledon, New Jersey property is now a museum where visitors can tour Botto's old Victorian house. Its significance is that it was once was the site of a groundbreaking labor strike. In 1913, more than 20,000 silk mill workers gathered at the Italian immigrant's home to organize a protest over poor working conditions and advocate for the end of child labor, among other demands, which eventually lead to sweeping labor reform.
Today, the American Labor Museum offers various exhibits and events to recognize the contributions of all workers.
These countries have tested a four-day work week
Though no country has officially declared a 4-day work week, many are giving the idea a try. According to CNBC, among the countries that have either tested out a four-day work week or are currently allowing some employees to opt to work fewer days (for the same amount of hours) are:
- Spain
- Ireland
- South Africa
- Belgium
- Iceland
- Japan
Children as young as 10 used to work in U.S. factories and mines
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the years following the Civil War, it wasn't uncommon for children as young as 10 (and often younger) to work in factories, mines, mills, retail outlets and on the streets. The practice continued through much of the Industrial Revolution and only began to wane after the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 put protections in place to regulate rules surrounding employing young children.
Today, the Fair Labor Standards act sets the minimum age of employment at 14 years old and restricts the number of hours that minors can work under the age of 16.
The Labor Day hurricane of 1935
Labor Day arrives during the peak of hurricane season, and there have been a number of memorable storms on or around Labor Day weekend, including 2005's Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane David in 1979.
Among the most destructive was the unnamed hurricane of 1935 which hit the Florida Keys as the first-recorded Category 5 storm in U.S. history, leaving near total destruction in its wake. With winds of 185 mph and an estimated storm surge of 18 feet, the Labor Day hurricane claimed nearly 500 lives. It goes down as one of the worst hurricanes to ever make landfall in the contiguous United States.
On average, union members make more money than nonunion workers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, among full-time and salary workers, on average, union members had a median weekly income of $1,263, while nonunion workers had median earnings of $1,090.
The gender pay gap still exists
Though pay disparity between men and women has closed considerably through the years, according to Pew Research, women on average still make only 82% of what men earn.
In 2002, women earned roughly 80% of what men earned, meaning that in two decades, pay equity has only increased by 2%.
To spotlight the gender pay gap, the National Committee on Pay Equity commemorates Equal Pay Day annually, in day marked to recognize how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.
In 2024, that day landed on March 12.
These celebrities celebrate Labor Day birthdays
There are plenty of celebrities who celebrate September birthdays that, depending on the year, occasionally land on Labor Day. They include:
- Beyoncé (Sept. 4, 1981)
- Keanu Reeves (Sept. 2, 1964)
- Salma Hayek (Sept. 2, 1966)
- Charlie Sheen (Sept. 3, 1965)
- Mark Harmon (Sept. 2, 1951)
- Michael Keaton (Sept. 5, 1951)
- Evan Rachel Wood (Sept. 7, 1987)
The founder of Labor Day is widely contested
No one is completely sure who actually started Labor Day in the U.S., but it’s between two people and their surnames are incredibly similar. While some records show that Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, got the labor movement off the ground, others believe that Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, first sparked the concept.
Labor Day is a major travel weekend
Many Americans use the long holiday weekend as an opportunity to squeeze in one last getaway before summer's end. According to a survey by The Vacationer, more than half of adults planned to travel somewhere over Labor Day or Labor Day weekend last year in 2023.
In a separate survey, The Vacationer estimates that nearly 82% of all Americans plan to travel this summer and a good number of them planned to travel more than once.
Better make those reservations early — those numbers indicate that Labor Day 2024 will be a very busy travel weekend indeed.
The Destination of the Year 2024
If you're among those hitting the road or flying the friendly skies on Labor Day this year, you might be interested to know where to go.
According to Travel + Leisure, 2024's Destination of the Year is Costa Rica.
Among the many reasons to visit the Central American country? It's beautiful beaches, national parks, rain forests, limitless activities and Costa Rica's world-renowned coffee.
The top jobs in 2024
Since Labor Day is about recognizing hard work, you might be curious which jobs are considered among the best for U.S. employees. Using pay, talent, the ability to advance, stress, work-life balance and other criteria, U.S. News and World Report cites the following as the top 10 jobs of 2024:
- Nurse practitioner
- Financial manager
- Software developer
- IT manager
- Physician assistant
- Medical and health services manager
- Information security analyst
- Data scientist
- Actuary
- Speech-language pathologist
Labor Day was celebrated before there was a Labor Department
The U.S. Department of Labor was founded on March 4, 1913. What’s interesting about that is Labor Day itself became a federal holiday back in 1894. And the very first celebration of the holiday occurred in 1882, a full 31 years before the government agency was founded.
Other countries celebrate International Workers' Day instead of Labor Day
While Labor Day is primarily a U.S. holiday (although Canada celebrates too), many other countries recognize their laborers on what's known as International Workers' Day, also referred to as May Day or Labour Day.
According to the Department of Labor, the international version of Labor Day has American roots and is a nod to a conflict that occurred in Chicago more than a century ago. Advocating for eight-hour workdays, 300,000 workers walked out on the job on May 1, 1886. Hence, the name “May Day” and the date it's observed annually, which is May 1.
The walkout led to a violent clash between protesters and police, resulting in the deaths of both police officers and protesters in what's since been dubbed “The Haymarket Affair.”
The event serves as inspiration for fair working conditions around the world and led to the founding of International Workers Day, which is commemorated by much of Europe, Mexico, Cuba and Ghana, among other nations.
Labor Day began with a parade
It’s widely believed that on September 5, 1882, union leaders marched in what is now considered the very first Labor Day parade. More than 10,000 New York City workers from a wide variety of industries, such as clothing makers and railroad workers (including children), took to the streets to raise awareness over unsafe working conditions.
Post-parade activities haven't changed much
After marching just under five miles from New York City’s City Hall to 42nd Street, the workers, who took unpaid leave to be at the event, met up with their families for various activities like enjoying picnics and fireworks.
There’s still a New York City Labor Day parade today
To this day, the New York City Central Labor Council still hosts a Labor Day parade and march, which is held just north of the location of the original 1882 march. This year, the parade will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
Canada celebrated “Labour Day” before us
“Labour Day,” as it’s spelled by our neighbors to the north, was first celebrated in Canada in 1894 — on the first Monday of September, just like us.
Although it didn't become official until 1894, the holiday started percolating decades before that through a series of demonstrations. According to CBC News, on March 25, 1872, the Toronto Typographical Union went on strike in favor of a shorter workweek.
Many protesters were jailed, but later that year, Parliament legalized unions.
Oregon was the first state to observe Labor Day
Before becoming an official holiday nationwide, Labor Day was adopted state by state. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Oregon was the first one to make it a statewide holiday, a full seven years before it was passed by Congress.
President Grover Cleveland made it a federal holiday
On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day official by signing it into law, designating the first Monday in September to always be Labor Day. The day honors the American labor force and the upholding of laws that make work conditions healthier and safer.
Labor Day is observed on a Monday for a reason
While the very first Labor Day in 1882 took place on a Tuesday, it eventually shifted to Monday after the holiday was adopted by the states.
Labor Day is also observed on a Monday so that employees can enjoy a three-day weekend. Other federal holidays that fall on the first day of the week include Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Juneteenth, Indigenous Peoples' Day and Memorial Day.
Those three-day weekends will always remain intact thanks to the Uniform Holiday Bill signed by Lyndon B. Johnson back in 1968, with the former president declaring it would help Americans enjoy more time with family and provide an opportunity to travel.
The average weekly earnings for full-time workers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly earnings of full-time workers was $1,139 in the first quarter of 2024.
Women had median weekly earnings of $1,021, or 83.2 percent of the $1,227 median for men.
Sarah Lemire
Sarah is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for TODAY who covers holidays, celebrities and everything in between.
Shelby Deering
ShelbyDeeringis a freelance lifestyle writer living in Madison, Wisconsin. She specializes in writing about home design and decor, wellness and mental health, and other lifestyle topics, contributing to national publications likeGood Housekeeping, AARP The Magazine, USA Today,and more. When she’s not writing, you can find her shopping flea markets and exploring local trails with her husband and corgi, Dolly.
