Labor’s Day

Last year’s Labor Day post was about the history of Labor Day.  This year, I thought I would highlight sources that can be used to learn more about American labor and issues affecting the workplace.

The U.S. Department of Labor has a long history of publishing information.  The Labor Bulletin began in 1913 and the Monthly Labor Review has been published since 1915.  These publications cover a multitude of topics reported from various department agencies, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Here are just a few of the interesting things you can research:

• The history of labor in the U.S. from 1833-1933.
• The wages and working conditions in textile factories, paper mills, or the pottery industry.
• The number of people injured or killed on the job.
• The number of workers in the U.S. who were on strikes, lockouts, or work stoppages–even in a particular industry.
• Working conditions for women and children in the early 20th century.
• A wage chronology of General Motors.
• The unemployment rate in the years after World War II.

I have used this publication to answer many reference questions and I am still amazed by all the topics covered and how useful this title is for researchers.  Check out the index to see for yourself.