Labor Day Speech Resources: Fact Sheet Updated August 26, 2026 (R44152) Introduction Labor Day is a federal holiday celebrating the achievements of American workers. Labor Day also symbolically marks the end of summer and, in many states, the beginning of the school year. This guide is designed to assist congressional offices with work-related Labor Day celebrations. It contains a brief history and selected resources for additional historical and legislative information, CRS reports, sample speeches and recognitions from the legislative branch, presidential proclamations, statistical information on the U.S. labor force, and cultural resources on celebrating the holiday. Origins The first Labor Day celebration in the United States was held on September 5, 1882 , in New York City . It was proposed and sponsored by the Central Labor Union Party as a "workingmen's holiday." With the growth of labor organizations throughout the United States, the celebration of Labor Day spread to many industrial centers. Between 1882 and 1894, municipalities and states adopted and enacted ordinances and laws to make Labor Day a holiday. Legislation On June 28, 1894, the 53 rd Congress passed S.730 ( Chapter Law 118 ) designating the first Monday in September of each year as a legal holiday to celebrate and affirm the contributions and accomplishments of the American workforce. Many statutes that concern American labor have been enacted. Some resources on these statutes include the following: U.S. Department of Labor, " Summar y of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor " U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, " St a te Labor Laws " U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, " Worker Rig h ts " CRS Reports CRS has prepared numerous reports that relate to the American labor force. Some of these include the following: CRS Report R42526, Federal Labor Relations Statutes: An Overview , by Jon O. Shimabukuro and Julie M. Whittaker CRS Report R43089, The Federal Minimum Wage: In Brief , by Sarah A. Donovan CRS Report R43301, Programs Available to Unemployed Workers Through the American Job Center Network , by Benjamin Collins, David H. Bradley, and Katelin P. Isaacs CRS Report R44835, Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States , by Sarah A. Donovan CRS In Focus IF10336, The Fundamentals of Unemployment Compensation , by Julie M. Whittaker and Katelin P. Isaacs CRS Report R48468, Recent Wage Trends and Issues , by Sarah A. Donovan Sample Congressional Speeches and Recognitions Members of Congress often make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter extensions of remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The following are some recent examples: Representative Donald Norcross, " The Father of Labor Day Showed How to Advance the Labor Movement Today ," The Hill , September 1, 2025 Senator Charles Grassley, " Labor Day Applauds American Workers," n ewsletter, August 30, 2024 Representative Joyce Beatty, " Beatty Honors Labor Day ," press release, September 5, 2022 Senator Jerry Moran, " Wishing You a Happy Labor Day ," newsletter, September 7, 2021 Representative Steny H. Hoyer, " Hoyer Statement on Labor Day ," press release, September 7, 2020 Senator John Barrasso, " Barrasso: American Workers Are Winning as Nation Celebrates Labor Day ," press release, September 2, 2019 Presidential Proclamations and Remarks One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call attention to certain issues or events. Some recent Labor Day proclamations and remarks, from the Compilation of Presidential Documents , include the following: Presidential Proclamations âPresident Donald Trump (2025-) 1 Presidential Proclamations âPresident Joe Biden (2021-2025) Presidential Proclamations âPresident Donald Trump (2017-2021) 2 Presidential Proclamations âPresident Barack Obama (2009-2017) Presidential Messages and Remarks âPresident George W. Bush (2001-2009) Presidential proclamations and remarks from 1993 to the present are available through the Government Publishing Office website govinfo.gov. Earlier remarks (with filtering options by President and category of remark) are available through t he American Presidency Project , established by the University of California, Santa Barbara. Statistics Several federal agencies maintain statistics on the American workforce. Some useful sources of data and information include the following: U.S. Census Bureau, Labor Force Statistics . U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics . U.S. Department of Labor, Minimum Wage Laws in the United States . Historical Resources Many federal agencies provide additional resources on the history of Labor Day (and other labor-related remembrances) and of the American workforce. Some of these include the following: Library of Congress, " Business and Labor History: Primary Sources at the Library of Congress ." Research guide to business- and labor-related personal papers and organizational records in the Manuscript Division and other collections in the Library of Congress that may be of interest to labor historians. Library of Congress, " Labor Day Labor Round-Up and Parade ." Contains a collection of links to Labor Day or labor-related topics found in the digital collections and online resources from the Library of Congress. Library of Congress, " In Celebration of American Labor ." Contains links to historical labor song recordings, sheet music, and oral histories contained in the Library of Congress's collections. Library of Congress, selected historical Labor Day images from the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. National Archives, " Labor Day ." Information about labor-related government records held by the National Archives and links to resources, presidential libraries, and other institutions. Includes a media gallery of images. U.S. Department of Labor, " History of Labor Day ." Smithsonian Institution, Museum on Main Street, " The Way We Worked ." Smithsonian Institution, " Labor Day ." Images related to Labor Day from the Smithsonian collections. Footnotes 1 . Link provides access to proclamations and remarks made by President Trump during both of his terms where available. 2 . Link provides access to proclamations and remarks made by President Trump during both of his terms where available.