An old custom prohibits the wearing of white after Labor Day. The custom is rooted in nothing more than popular fashion etiquette. In actuality, the etiquette originally stated that white shoes were the taboo while white or "winter white" clothes were acceptable. This custom is fading from popularity as it continues to be questioned and challenged, particularly by leaders in the fashion world. "Fashion magazines are jumping on this growing trend, calling people who 'dare' to wear white after Labor Day innovative, creative, and bold. Slowly but surely, white is beginning to break free from its box, and is becoming acceptable to wear whenever one pleases. This etiquette is also compared to the Canadian fashion rule of not wearing green after Rememberance day."

Source: Labor Day - Wikipedia

Labor Day Articles:

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The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a “Labor Day” on one day or another, and a bill to establish a federal holiday was passed by Congress in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward — designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

Who Are We Celebrating?

151 million
Number of people age 16 or older in the nation’s labor force in May 2006. Among the nation’s workers are 81.2 million men and 69.8 million women. EMPSIT.pdf

Employee Benefits

82%
Percentage of full-time workers ages 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2004. Read the Census Press Release

77%
Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one of their employment benefits. In addition:
• 77 percent of workers receive paid holidays.

• 14 percent have access to employer assistance for child care.

• 11 percent have access to long-term care insurance.

See Table 639, 2006 Census edition.

Another Day, Another Dollar

$40,798 and $31,223
The 2004 annual median earnings, respectively, for male and female full-time, year-round workers. Census Press Release

$1,419
Average weekly wage in New York County, N.Y., for the third quarter of 2005, the highest among the nation’s 317 largest counties. Passaic County, N.J., led the nation in growth of average weekly wages the third quarters of 2004 to 2005, with an increase of 19 percent. cewqtr.pdf

Our Jobs

Americans work in a wide variety of occupations. Here is a sampling:

Occupation	Number of employees
Gaming services workers (gambling)	98,000
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists	738,000
Chefs and head cooks	317,000
Firefighters	243,000
Musicians, singers and related workers	213,000
Bakers	183,000
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	291,000
Service station attendants	100,000
Farmers and ranchers	827,000
Pharmacists	248,000
Teachers	6.8 million
(Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007) 7.5 million

Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters comprise 5 percent of the working population. Of these moonlighters, 3.9 million work full time at their primary job and part time at their other job. (Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007)

5.1 million
Number of state government employees nationwide as of March 2005.

2.7 million
Number of civilian employees of the federal government as of December 2005.

When Do They Sleep?

There are about 294,000 moonlighters who work full time at both jobs. (Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007)

10.5 million
Number of self-employed workers. (Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007)

20.4 million
Number of female workers in educational services, and health care and social assistance industries. Among men, 11.4 million were employed in manufacturing industries. (Source: American FactFinder)

28%
Percentage of workers 16 or older who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week. See Table 590, 2006 edition, .

4
Median number of years workers have been with their current employer. About 10 percent of those employed have been with their current employer for 20 or more years. See Table 599, 2006 edition, .

5%
Percent of workers who work the evening shift (anytime between 2 p.m. and midnight). Another 3 percent work the night shift (anytime between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m). See Table 596, U.S. Census, 2006 edition, .

15.5 million
Number of labor union members nationwide. About 13 percent of wage and salary workers belong to unions, with New York having among the highest rates of any state — 25 percent. North Carolina has one of the lowest rates, 3 percent. See Table 649, U.S. Census, 2006 edition, .

105,500
Number of jobs added in Maricopa County (Phoenix), Ariz., between September 2004 and September 2005, the highest of the nation’s 317 largest counties. Among these counties, Lee, Fla., experienced the highest rate of job growth, 11.4 percent.

5 million
The number of people who work at home. (Source: American FactFinder)

The Long and Winding Road — to Work

38.4 minutes
The average time it takes to commute to work for residents of New York City, the most time-consuming commute among the 70 published cities with 250,000 or more people. (Source: American FactFinder)

58%
Percentage of workers 16 and older living in Aurora, Colo., who worked in a different county, one of the highest rates among the nation’s 70 published cities with 250,000 or more people. (Source: American FactFinder)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: .

Source: US Census http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/ facts_for_features_special_editions/007125.html

Economy
The gross state product of Florida in 2005 was $596 billion. Personal income was $30,098 per capita, ranking 26th in the nation.

Florida's economy relies heavily on tourism. About 60 million visitors visit the state every year. Warm weather and hundreds of miles of beach attract vacationers from around the world. The Walt Disney World Resort, a mega-resort consisting of four theme parks, more than twenty hotels, water parks, shopping centers, and other attractions, is an important tourist attraction located in Lake Buena Vista. Together, Walt Disney World, and other theme park resorts such as Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld, are an important driver of the Central Florida economy.

Other major industries include citrus fruit and juice production, banking, and phosphate mining within the Bone Valley region. With the arrival of the space program at Kennedy Space Center in the 1960s, Florida has developed a sizeable aerospace industry. The state did not have a state minimum wage law until November 2, 2004, when voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage and mandating that it be adjusted for inflation every six months.

Historically, Florida's economy was based upon cattle farming and agriculture (especially sugarcane, citrus, tomatoes, and strawberries). In the early 1900, land speculators discovered Florida, and Plant and Henry Flagler developed railway systems, which led people to move in, drawn by the weather and local economies. From then on, tourism boomed, fueling a cycle of development and tourism that overwhelmed a great deal of farmland.

In 2004 and 2005, key industries along the west coast—commercial fishing and water-based tourist activities (sports fishing and diving)—were threatened by outbreaks of red tide, a discoloration of seawater caused by an efflorescence of toxin-producing dinoflagellates.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/