Labor Day in the 21st century is all about beaches, BBQs, ballgames and buying things. 64% of Americans will celebrate Labor Day, nearly 200 million plan to barbeque over Labor Day weekend, and thousands will pack college football stadiums.
Labor Day hasn’t always been this relaxing, though. The holiday’s roots can be traced back to the streets of 1880s New York City, where rival union leaders joined forces to protest unfair labor practices.
In celebration of how workers’ lives have been improved since, and in recognition of the various ways Americans celebrate this holiday, WalletHub gathered the most entertaining, educational Labor Day facts we could find to create this infographic. You can also check out the Ask the Experts section that follows for a panel discussion on the many facets of Labor Day.
Top 4 Labor Day Facts for 2025:
- 818 hot dogs are eaten every second from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- Over 712,000 workers’ lives have been saved since the Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted in 1970.
- $174+ Billion is the annual cost of worker injury and illness in the U.S.
Ask the Experts
To gain a better understanding of the biggest issues facing workers today and how they’re likely to evolve in the near future, we posed the following questions to a panel of labor experts. You can check out their bios and responses below.
- What are the biggest threats facing working people today?
- How is the “gig economy” changing the nature of work? Should “gig economy” workers be treated like traditional employees or do we need new labor regulations for this growing sector?
- What policies should governments and firms adopt to improve the quality of life of American workers?
- How likely is it that Congress will pass new support for workers, including an increase in the Federal minimum wage or mandatory paid family medical leave?
- What tips do you have for people who are planning a getaway for Labor Day weekend?
Ask the Experts
Associate Professor of Economics at UCSD's School of Global Policy and Strategy, a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development, and an Editor at the Journal of Labor Economics
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Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management - Lynn University
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Associate Professor, Department of Economics - University at Albany
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Professor Emeritus, Department of History and Labor Education and Research Center, University of Oregon
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Associate Professor, Economics & Accounting - College of the Holy Cross
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Lecturer – University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
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WalletHub's personal finance experts are frequently cited by leading media outlets. Contact our media team to arrange an interview.