The following Press Release from Cornell University's Institute for Workplace Studies includes many interesting facts about the U.S. Workforce.

IWS Documented News Service
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Institute for Workplace Studies         

School of Industrial & Labor Relations          

Cornell University
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Facts for Features from the Census
CB03-FF.12              August 18, 2003

Labor Day 2003: Sept. 1
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-ff12.html
or
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-ff12.pdf
[full-text, 3 pages]


The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York, N.Y., probably organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing Labor Day on one day or another and a bill to establish it as a federal holiday was introduced in Congress. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill in 1894 designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

Who Do We Celebrate Today?

146.5 million
Number of people age 16 and over in the nation's labor force as of July 2003. Among the nation's workers are 78.2 million men and 68.4 million women.These men and women represent 66 percent of the adult population.
<http://www.bls.gov>http://www.bls.gov

Another Day, Another Dollar

$38,275 and $29,215
The annual median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round workers in 2001.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-124.html>

$65,926
Average annual pay in the San Jose, Calif., metropolitan statistical area. San Jose has led all metro areas in this category since 1997. <http://146.142.4.22/news.release/anpay2.nr0.htm>

$46,963
Average annual pay in Connecticut, first among states.
<http://146.142.4.22/news.release/annpay.nr0.htm>

Our Jobs

7.3 million
Number of workers who hold down more than one job. These workers comprise 5 percent of the workforce. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/labor.pdf>

29
Percentage of workers 16 and over who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/labor.pdf>

29
Percentage of wage and salary workers 16 and over employed full-time who are on flexible schedules. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/labor.pdf>

3
Percentage of wage and salary workers 16 and over employed full-time who work the night shift. <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/labor.pdf>

47
Percentage of employed civilian workers 16 and over in the Corvallis, Ore., metro area who work in management, professional and related occupations. Corvallis is one of six "college towns" among the 10 metro areas with the highest percentages for these occupations. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-123.html>

   * For service occupations, Las Vegas, Nev., leads all metro areas with 27 percent of its workers employed in such jobs. Most of the other areas in the top 10 in this category also cater to tourists and vacationers.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-123.html>
 
   * In Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, N.C., 34 percent of workers are employed in production, transportation and material moving jobs, among the highest rates for the nation's metro areas.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-123.html>

16.3 million
Number of labor union members nationwide. About 14 percent of wage and salary workers belong to unions, with New York having the highest rate among states, 27 percent. The lowest rate, 4 percent, belongs to North Carolina.
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/02statab/labor.pdf>

AND MUCH MORE....
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11:06:41 AM