Monday Open Line

This is Labor Day — a time to honor the nation’s working men and women, and traditionally, the end of the summer season. The observance has more than the usual significance this year because of the recent years of slow employment growth. The first Labor Day was celebrated in September 1882 in New York City. By 1894, more than half the states were observing the occasion, and noting the first Monday in September as a national holiday became federal law that year. In the U.S., 158 million men and women over the age of 16 are in the labor force, with retail sales being the largest occupational component. Around 14.5 million Americans belong to a union, while more than 13.5 million work at least one day a week from their homes. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.