The United States Honors Its Workers on Labor Day

On Monday, the United States celebrated Labor Day, honoring nearly 160 million workers. Labor Day was officially declared 130 years ago in 1894 to pay tribute to American workers who often faced harsh working conditions in the late 19th century. President Joe Biden traveled to Philadelphia for the annual Labor Day celebration, discussing the importance of unions in U.S. labor history and how the U.S. economy, the largest in the world, has recovered from the early destructive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden told the crowd, 'On this Labor Day, we celebrate jobs and good-paying jobs; jobs you can raise a family on, union jobs.' During Biden's two and a half years in office, over 13 million new jobs have been created, more than any other presidency in the same time frame. A few days before Labor Day, Biden stated, 'As we enter Labor Day, we must take a step back and recognize that America is now in one of the strongest job creation periods in its history.' The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Friday that employers added 187,000 new jobs in August. The unemployment rate in the United States has risen from 3.5% to 3.8%, the highest level since February 2022, but still close to the lowest level in five decades.