Labor Day by the Numbers
Census Bureau facts for Labor Day
by the U.S. Census Bureau
Who Are We Celebrating?
152.8 million
Number of people 16 and older in the nation’s labor force in May 2007. In the nation’s labor force are 82.1 million men and 70.7 million women.
Employee Benefits
82%
Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2005.
77%
Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one of their employment benefits. In addition:
- 76% of workers receive paid holidays.
- 15% have access to employer assistance for child care.
- 12% have access to long-term care insurance.
- 71% have access to medical care, 46% to dental care, 29% to vision care, and 64% to outpatient prescription drug coverage.
Another Day, Another Dollar
$41,386 and $31,858
The 2005 annual median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round workers, respectively.
$1,421
Average weekly wage in New York County, N.Y., for the third quarter of 2006, the highest among the nation's 325 largest counties. Kent County, R.I., led the nation in growth of average weekly wages the third quarters of 2005 to 2006, with an increase of 18%.
Our Jobs
Americans work in a wide variety of occupations. Here is a sampling:
| Teachers | 6.8 million |
| Farmers and ranchers | 784,000 |
| Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists | 767,000 |
| Chefs and head cooks | 313,000 |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs | 282,000 |
| Firefighters | 253,000 |
| Pharmacists | 245,000 |
| Roofers | 242,000 |
| Musicians, singers and related workers | 203,000 |
| Gaming services workers (gambling) | 106,000 |
| Tax preparers | 98,000 |
| Service station attendants | 96,000 |
7.6 million
Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters comprise 5% of the working population. Of these moonlighters, 4 million work full time at their primary job and part time at their other job.
When Do They Sleep?
There are about 310,000 moonlighters who work full time at both jobs.
10.6 million
Number of self-employed workers.
21.1 million
Number of female workers 16 and older in educational services, health care, and social assistance industries. Among male workers 16 and older, 11.4 million were employed in manufacturing industries.
28%
Percentage of workers 16 and older who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week.
4
Median number of years workers have been with their current employer. About 9% of those employed have been with their current employer for 20 or more years.
10.3 million
Number of independent contractors. Other workers with alternative work arrangements include 2.5 million on-call workers, 1.2 million temporary help agency workers, and 813,000 workers provided by contract firms.
15.4 million
Number of labor union members nationwide. About 12% of wage and salary workers belong to unions, with Hawaii and New York having among the highest rates of any state—25% and 24%, respectively. South Carolina has one of the lowest rates, 2%.
79,400
Number of jobs added in Harris County (Houston), Texas, between September 2005 and September 2006, the largest increase in employment among the nation’s 325 largest counties.
4.8 million
The number of people who work at home.
Hot Jobs
56%
Projected percentage growth from 2002 to 2014 in the number of home health aides. 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 retail salespeople (736,000).
Early, Lonely, and Long—the Commute to Work
15.9 million
Number of commuters who leave for work between midnight and 5:59 a.m. These early birds represent 12% of all workers.
77%
Percentage of workers who drove alone to work. Another 11% car pooled, and 5% took public transportation (excluding taxicabs).
31.2 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 30.8 minutes. The national average was 25.1 minutes.
3 million
Number of workers who face extreme commutes to work of 90 or more minutes each day.
53%
Percentage of workers 16 and older living in Virginia who worked in a different county, the highest rate in the nation.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
