WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Following is the daily “Profile America” feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

LABOR DAY

Profile America — Monday, September 1st.  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 added meaning this year because of the persistently cloudy employment picture.  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 in 1894.  In the U.S., nearly 156 million men and women over the age of 16 are in the labor force, with retail sales being the largest occupational component.  Around 16 million Americans belong to a union, while more than 6 million–or 4.4 percent work–from their homes.  You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey, at www.census.gov.

Sources:  http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb14-ff18.html