What US Labor Day is

The American and Canadian labour holiday, kept on the first Monday in September rather than 1 May — a deliberate choice in the 1890s to distance it from the international workers’ movement.

It marks the informal end of summer, and in the US the end of the school holidays in most states.

When it falls, and why the date moves

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date is set by a weekday rule rather than a fixed number, so it lands on a different date each year within a known window.

It is grouped here under National, alongside the other observances that share its calendar.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves on according to the recurrence rule described above. Calculated lunar dates remain estimates until the relevant calendar or local authority confirms them. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a duration of your own.