Labor Day fun facts report from Wallet Hub

Nowadays, Labor Day is all about ways to enjoy the last summer fling before seriously buckling down to get back to work.

But it wasn’t always like that.

Labor Day’s roots can be traced back to the 1880s where unions protested unfair labor practices.

The inaugural Labor Celebration was in 1882 in New York with 10,000 workers assembled for a parade.

In 1894, Congress made the first Monday in September an official federal holiday.

Wallet Hub's Jill Gonzalez said Labor Day resonates with people after Christmas, Chanukah and Memorial Day.

"People think of family, or vacation time, kind of the last hoorah before going back to school or really getting back into all the hustle and bustle at work, so I can understand why it's American's third favorite holiday," said Gonzalez.

She said when it comes to actually laboring, people are working more than ever.

"About 10 vacation days are what the average worker earns, but about 55 percent of us have left vacation days unused last year. That means around 770 million vacation days were left unused," said Gonzalez.

She said they found that people seem to be nervous taking their own vacation time.

"Eighty percent of workers said they would take more time if their boss was more supportive. So, obviously a day like this where everyone has off, I think helps people really relax and at least use that vacation time," said Gonzalez.

This Labor Day, folks might be shopping holiday deals or traveling as gas costs go down.


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