LABOR DAY: “The man who doesn’t relax and hoot a few hoots voluntarily, now and then, is in great danger of hooting hoots and standing on his head for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse, a little later on.” — Elbert Hubbard

Today, Labor Day, it’s good to remember it’s important to take a break from our hard work, both for ourselves and the people around us.

According to the Census Bureau, “the first observance of Labor Day was likely on Sept. 5, 1882, when some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City for a parade. That celebration inspired similar events across the country, and by 1894 more than half the states were observing a “workingmen’s holiday on one day or another.”

Not long later, legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law naming the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

Despite the more-than-100-year-old legislation, we know a number of workers will still punch the clock today, so for all of you we hope you’ll be get a break at some point to make up for it.

The Census Bureau has offered many job-related statistics. For instance:

— The highest three occupations in May 2012 — retail salespeople, cashiers and food preparation and serving workers — total more than 10 million combined, according to the Census Bureau, and we know many of them will not be getting the day off today;

— In 2012, 15.9 millions U.S. workers 16 or older were represented by a union, either as union workers are under a union contract;

— In 2011, the real median wage for full-time, year-round employed men was $48,202, while the same for females was $37,118; and

— The average commute time was 25.5 minutes in 2011, and the longest commutes belonged to people in nearby New York and Maryland. A total of 4.3 percent of employees in 2011 worked from home.

Whether those number make you feel happy or sad, we hope you have a happy Labor Day, folks.