- ESD
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Labor Day weekend is a very important holiday for the Employment Security Department (ESD) because our agency serves workers and the employers who hire them. We see our programs as vitally important to health of our state’s economy and we are proud to serve. — ESD Commissioner Cami Feek
History on Labor Day from ESD’s DATA Architecture, Transformation & Analytics Division
Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late 19th century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity and well-being. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
The labor movement following the Civil War was a tumultuous time politically and a highly contentious time between labor and business interests. Initial attempts to create a department of labor that would represent a voice of labor were met with political resistance. The first bureau of labor statistics, established in Massachusetts in 1869, was an attempt to address labor problems by collecting and publishing impartial statistics. By 1883, 12 states had created their own bureaus of labor statistics. The federal Bureau of Labor was created in 1884 and was housed in the Department of Interior.
Some of the first assignments included establishing a consumer expenditure survey and reports focusing — through the impartial lens of statistics — on some of the most important questions of the day, including research on industrial depressions, the effects of tariffs on wages and prices, and the effects of machinery costs on production, productivity, wages and employment.
A reputation for impartiality through the lens of statistics opened the door for a national Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and ultimately paved the way for creating the Department of Labor in 1913. To this day, the data that BLS collects, compiles, analyzes and publishes is the gold standard and has a reputation for impartiality. As the official BLS partner in Washington, ESD’s DATA Division plays an important part in preserving and perpetuating this legacy.
For those of you who are history buffs and want to learn more, check out The Origin of the U.S. Department of Labor and history of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FLMA). This legislation has already helped millions of our working families and also helped lead the way for our Paid Family and Medical Leave, which is helping to provide paid time off and peace of mind for so many Washingtonians in their times of need.
Some Washington labor force statistics
For those of you who love data, ESD’s Chief Labor Economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman provided some demographic statistics about Washington’s labor force. Based on information from the most recent U.S. Census, the current labor force in Washington state (over 16 years old) of 3,994,302 individuals breaks down as follows:
By age
16 to 24 years — 13%
25 to 34 years — 25%
35 to 44 years — 23%
45 to 54 years — 19%
55 years and over — 21%
By race and Hispanic or Latino origin
White alone — 67%
Black or African American alone — 4%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone — 2%
Asian alone = 10%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone — 1%
Some other race alone — 6%
Two or more races — 11%
Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) — 13%
If you want more of this kind of data, check out the DATA Division’s public facing website. Or get to know ESD’s state economist and six regional economists serving local labor markets in Washington. All of them can help you find and use labor market data and fulfill special data requests. The regional economists are especially helpful answering questions about the labor market in your area. They serve professionals and organizations in their areas for WorkSource offices, Local Workforce Development Boards, nonprofit organizations, higher education, businesses and the news media.
Please also check out the U.S. Department of Labor’s website highlighting Labor Day and last year’s highly informative message from our governor.