Labor Day 2009

Profile America -- Monday, September 7th. This is Labor Day -- set aside to honor the nation's working men and women and traditionally the end of the summer season. The first Labor Day was celebrated in September 1882 in New York City, organized by union official Peter McGuire. By 1893, more than half the states were observing the occasion, and celebrating the first Monday in September as a national holiday became law in 1894.

In the U.S., more than 155 million men and women are in the labor force. About 10.5 million are self-employed, and about 5 percent have more than one job. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week, while nearly 6 percent work at home. Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau, now preparing for the 2010 Census.