ARE YOU WORKING ON LABOR DAY?

Submitted by ub on

Labor Day carries a lot of weight as the unofficial end of summer, when we take a look at the festivals, picnics, concerts and parties that get piled onto this last three-day weekend of summer vacation. However, others like members of this household are scheduled to work on this holiday weekend.

Labor Day weekend has historically been the final opportunity for vacation, especially to families with small children. It is a bittersweet kind of holiday because it bumps up against the back-to-school time of year. Although some will be barbecuing this Labor Day weekend, some others will have to be working.

This information was compiled during a survey from Bloomberg BNA and Beyond.com. The date points to more Americans having to work on this day, which is set aside to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the American worker.

This chart from The Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) compares the differences in legal requirements for paid time off in the developed world. US is a major outlier among its developed peers when it comes to mandatory time off, and that ends up effecting poorer workers more than anybody else.

According to the CEPR, though 23% of American workers don’t receive paid time off, that number jumps to 49% for the bottom fourth of wage earners.