Labor Day: What Does New Lenox's Work Force Look Like?

Labor Day to many people is about a long weekend, time away from the last celebration of the summer.

But Labor Day was started as a way to honor workers who labor each day, and it is dedicated to honoring the social and economic achievements of American workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The first Labor Day was celebrated on Sept. 5, 1882 in New York City. In 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September a holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories, according to the Department of Labor.

In honor of the Labor Day holiday, we present a few facts about the New Lenox laborers, according to the American Community Survey.

Unemployment

• 72.5 percent of New Lenox residents 16 or older are considered to be in the labor force. The highest percentage age group in the labor force is ages 45-54, with 90.9 in it.
• 5.4 percent is the local unemployment rate. For women, the unemployment rate is 5.8 percent and for men it's 3.8 percent. 
• 9.6 percent of residents with a high school degree or less are unemployed. That rate decreases as education attainment increases: 3.7 percent of residents who have some college or an associate's degree are unemployed, and just 0.3 percent are without jobs when they have a bachelor's degree.

Income by Gender, Education

The median income for families, men and women has increased, but a gender gap is still seen in the survey's findings.

• The average income for full-time, year-round workers for a man in the survey is $73,086 and for a woman it's $46,585.
• Compare that to the 2000 Census, when men made about $21,000 more than women ($53,301 to $32,193).
• Overall, the median income for a family is also rising. It was $72,947 in 2000 but rose to $95,267 now, according to the survey.
• Residents with a graduate/professional degree make about $99,000 on average. People with a bachelor's degree make about $83,000, while people with a high school degree make about $58,000.

Top Jobs

Top Five Occupations:

1. 1,698 office/administrative support
2. 1,565 sales/related occupations
3. 1,350 management
4. 867 education/training
5. 836 construction

Top Five Industries:

1. 2,602 education/health care
2. 1,539 manufacturing
3. 1,439 retail
4. 1,263 professional, scientific and management
5. 1,053 construction

Commute

• 88 percent of people drive a van or car to work, 82 percent of whom drove alone while 6 percent carpool. 
• 7 percent of New Lenox residents take public transportation. 
• 4.2 percent of people work from home.
• 51 percent of New Lenox residents work in Will County.
• 20.2 percent of residents have at least an hour commute to work. The next highest group is 20-24 minutes, or 13.2 percent.
• 20.2 percent of people leave for work after 9 a.m. 14.4 percent of people leave between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.