Labor Day, summer’s last hurrah, is just around the corner (It’s Monday, for those of you who don’t highlight every holiday on your calendar). The original purpose of Labor Day was to celebrate the working (wo)man (154.5 million people now) and also to discuss working conditions and improvements that could be made. Most celebrations included rallies, demonstrations, and speeches from labor representatives. Today, Labor Day has become more of a family celebration with little thought about our working conditions. Is it because we have it so good? You decide–below are some facts and statistics about current working conditions taken from the U.S. Census Bureau regarding labor:
· 82% of full-time workers are covered by health insurance
· 77% of workers receive paid holidays
· 15% of workers have access to employer assistance for child care
· 12% of workers have access to long-term care insurance
· 46% of workers have access to dental care
· 29% of workers have access to vision care
· 64% of workers have access to outpatient prescription drug care
· The median earnings of male full-time, year-round workers is $42,261.00
· The median earnings of female full-time, year-round workers is $32,515.00
· 28% of workers work more than 40 hours per week
· 8% of workers work more than 60 hours per week
This year, enjoy your Labor Day celebration, but take some time to think about your working conditions and to pat yourself on the back for another good year.