Labor Day Trivia Quiz: History, Rights, and Real Facts  

Labor Day trivia is more than just fun facts for the holiday — it’s a reminder of the people who keep the country running. Born from protests and marches in the late 1800s, Labor Day honors the fight for fair pay, safe conditions, and workers’ dignity.  

Whether you’re planning a classroom quiz, a workplace event, or a social media campaign, a good form creator can help you turn these trivia questions into an interactive way to celebrate. Before we explore surprising trivia and traditions, let’s remember the people and struggles behind the holiday.

Looking back at the origin of Labor Day

Labor Day has come a long way from its roots in protest and activism. What started as a bold movement for fair working conditions has become a national holiday that honors the everyday contributions of American workers. It reminds us of the fight for dignity, safety, and fair pay on the job. 

Before we jump into the Labor Day trivia quiz, here are some quick history facts that highlight how it all began:

• The first Labor Day parade was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City, with over 10,000 workers marching.
• Labor Day was officially declared a U.S. federal holiday in 1894.
• The holiday directly responded to worker protests and strikes during the Industrial Revolution, including the major Pullman Strike.
• Oregon was the first U.S. state to recognize Labor Day as a legal holiday in 1887.
• Labor Day is meant to honor workers across all sectors, including blue-collar, white-collar, and service industries.
• The labor movement helped establish many rights we take for granted today, such as the 8-hour workday, minimum wage, and child labor laws.
• Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September in the U.S. and Canada.
• It’s often seen as the end of summer, but its roots are firmly planted in worker justice and dignity.

Labor Day trivia: How much do you really know about its history?

1. In what year was the first Labor Day parade held in New York City?
    Answer: 1882

2. How long did the Pullman Strike last before federal troops intervened?
    Answer: About two months

3. What city was home to one of the largest Labor Day celebrations in the 1900s, drawing over 100,000 people?
    Answer: New York City

4. Which U.S. president signed Labor Day into national law?
    Answer: Grover Cleveland

5. What major strike helped Congress pass the Labor Day bill in 1894?
   Answer: The Pullman Strike

6. What was the original purpose of Labor Day, according to early labor unions?
    Answer: To honor the economic and social contributions of workers

7. What workday limit did the early labor movement fight hardest to establish?
    Answer: The 8-hour workday

8. Who was a key figure in the American labor movement and helped found the AFL?
    Answer: Samuel Gompers

9. How many U.S. states currently have a minimum wage higher than the federal rate?
    Answer: 30

10. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, how many U.S. states already officially celebrated Labor Day?
      Answer: 30

Labor Day traditions and celebrations 

11. What day of the week is Labor Day always celebrated on in the U.S.?
      Answer: Monday

12. Which U.S. sport is closely associated with Labor Day weekend, with kickoff games often scheduled?
    Answer: College football

13. What is the most common type of food cooked during Labor Day weekend?
      Answer: Grilled food (especially burgers and hot dogs)

14. Which fashion rule is famously tied to Labor Day?
      Answer: Don’t wear white after Labor Day

15. What is the unofficial nickname for Labor Day in the U.S. seasonal calendar?
      Answer: The unofficial end of summer

16. What theme do many Labor Day speeches and events still emphasize today?
      Answer: Workers’ rights and appreciation

17. Which major U.S. city is known for holding one of the largest Labor Day parades?
      Answer: New York City

18. What percentage of American adults typically get the day off on Labor Day?
      Answer: Around 60–70%

19. Which activity sees a major spike during Labor Day sales?
      Answer: Shopping

20. What kind of public event do many cities host on Labor Day to honor workers?
      Answer: Parades

21. Which industry workers are least likely to get Labor Day off?
      Answer: Service and retail workers

22. What national holiday often marks the last major BBQ or beach day of the year?
      Answer: Labor Day

23. What popular U.S. city hosts a “Labor Day Classic” football game?
      Answer: Houston

24. Labor Day weekend is often considered the end of what in the fashion world?
      Answer: The summer fashion season

25. What large-scale event do unions or local governments often organize on Labor Day?
      Answer: Worker appreciation rallies or festivals

26. What type of sales event is most commonly promoted by retailers during Labor Day weekend?
      Answer: End-of-season/back-to-school sales

27. What form of travel typically significantly increases during Labor Day weekend?
      Answer: Car travel (road trips)

Labor laws and workers’ rights 

28. What landmark U.S. law, passed in 1938, established the 40-hour workweek?
    Answer: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
    
29. Which federal agency enforces workplace safety standards?
    Answer: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
    
30. What is the current federal minimum wage in the United States (as of 2025)?
    Answer: $7.25 per hour
    
31. Which act guarantees most workers the right to unionize and collectively bargain?
    Answer: National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)
    
32. What law prohibits child labor and sets age limits for employment?
    Answer: Fair Labor Standards Act
    
33. Which amendment to the Constitution protects the right to assemble, which includes labor protests?
    Answer: First Amendment
    
34. What 1970 law was created to protect workers from job-related injuries and illnesses?
    Answer: Occupational Safety and Health Act
    
35. Which federal law requires equal pay for men and women doing the same work?
    Answer: Equal Pay Act of 1963
    
36. What term describes when employees stop working to demand better conditions or pay?
    Answer: Strike
    
37. What U.S. law provides unpaid leave for medical or family reasons?
    Answer: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
    
38. Which department oversees labor statistics, wage laws, and unemployment benefits?
    Answer: U.S. Department of Labor
    
39. What year was the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) created?
    Answer: 1935
    
40. What is the legal term for a workplace where union membership is not required?
    Answer: Right-to-work
    
41. Which act restricted the power of labor unions in 1947?
    Answer: Taft-Hartley Act
    
42. What is the name for a contract negotiated by a union on behalf of workers?
    Answer: Collective bargaining agreement
    
43. What’s the legal minimum age for non-agricultural work in most jobs under federal law?
    Answer: 14 years old
    
44. What federal law protects workers from being fired for reporting unsafe conditions?
    Answer: Whistleblower Protection Act (and OSHA provisions)
    
45. What is the term for the lowest amount of money a worker can be paid per hour?
    Answer: Minimum wage
    
46. What is a union vote to decide whether employees want to be represented by a union called?
    Answer: Union election
    
47. Which U.S. president signed the Fair Labor Standards Act into law?
    Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

 Fun facts and surprising stats

48. What’s the average number of paid holidays U.S. workers receive annually?
    Answer: Around 7–10 days, depending on the industry
    
49. Which organization is credited with organizing the first Labor Day event?
    Answer: Central Labor Union
    
50. What U.S. state was the first to make Labor Day an official public holiday?
    Answer: Oregon
    
51. Which U.S. national park sees a major spike in visitors every Labor Day weekend?
    Answer: Yellowstone National Park
    
52. Who was largely responsible for the child labor reform efforts in America as he made much of the American population aware of the situation through his photography?
    Answer: Lewis Hine
    
53. Approximately how many countries celebrate Labour Day?
    Answer: Approximately 160
    
54. What economic activity is often boosted by Labour Day?
    Answer: Retail shopping
    
55. Which U.S. state hosts a popular “Hog Days” Labor Day festival featuring a giant pork parade?
    Answer: Illinois – specifically, Kewanee
    
56. What year did Labor Day officially become a federal holiday?
    Answer: 1894
    
57. Is Labor Day celebrated on the same date around the world?
    Answer: No, most countries observe a similar holiday on May 1 (International Workers’ Day)
    
58. Which colors are traditionally avoided in fashion after Labor Day?
    Answer: White
    
59. How many workers joined the first Labor Day parade?
    Answer: Around 10,000
    
60. Which day of the week is Labor Day always observed in the U.S.?
    Answer: Monday
    
61. What is the most common way Americans celebrate Labor Day today?
    Answer: With barbecues, parades, and a long weekend
    
62. What U.S. agency now oversees worker rights and enforces labor laws?
    Answer: The Department of Labor
    
63. What’s considered the unofficial end of summer in the U.S.?
    Answer: Labor Day
    
64. What labor union leader famously said, “The worst crime against working people is a company that fails to operate at a profit”?
    Answer: Samuel Gompers
    
65. What year did the U.S. Department of Labor officially form?
    Answer: 1913
    
66. What city hosted the first-ever Labor Day parade?
    Answer: New York City
    
67. What 1886 event in Chicago became a symbol of the labor struggle and is linked to May Day?
    Answer: The Haymarket Riot
    
68. Which act established a national minimum wage in the U.S.?
    Answer: Fair Labor Standards Act
    
69. What historic strike by railroad workers in 1894 led to violent clashes and federal intervention?
    Answer: The Pullman Strike
    
70. What is the name of the holiday celebrated internationally on May 1 in recognition of workers?
    Answer: International Workers’ Day
    
71. Who was the U.S. President during the Pullman Strike?
    Answer: Grover Cleveland
    
72. What does AFL stand for in labor history?
    Answer: American Federation of Labor
    
73. Who founded the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)?
    Answer: John L. Lewis
    
74. What government department runs the Bureau of Labor Statistics?
    Answer: U.S. Department of Labor
    
75. What was the significance of the 1935 Wagner Act?
    Answer: It gave workers the legal right to unionize
    
76. What symbol is often used to represent Labor Day in posters and media?
    Answer: A hard hat or clenched fist
    
77. Which U.S. president declared the first Monday of September as Labor Day to avoid supporting May Day?
    Answer: Grover Cleveland
    
78. How is Labor Day different from May Day in tone and politics in the U.S.?
    Answer: Labor Day is more celebratory and less radical than May Day
    
79. What industry did César Chávez fight to organize in the 1960s and ’70s?
    Answer: Agricultural/farm labor
    
80. What labor law protects workers’ rights to unionize and bargain collectively?
    Answer: National Labor Relations Act
    
81. What’s a popular Labor Day tradition in Detroit, Michigan?
    Answer: The annual Labor Day parade
    
82. What modern debate often resurfaces around Labor Day regarding workers’ rights?
    Answer: The need to raise the minimum wage
    
83. What famous labor march in Washington D.C. in 1963 linked civil rights and workers’ rights?

Answer: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Creative ways to make Labor Day more than just a day off

Labor Day is often seen as the last long weekend of summer, a time for rest, grilling, or travel. But it can also be an opportunity to reflect, give back, and engage with the real reason behind the holiday: honoring workers and their contributions. 

Here are a few creative and thoughtful ways to make your Labor Day plans beyond the usual downtime.

1. Host a community thank you wall

Set up a digital or physical “thank you wall” where people can post notes appreciating workers in different industries. Local businesses, schools, or neighborhood associations can invite people to contribute, turning a casual event into a moment of gratitude.

2. Create a worker appreciation campaign using QR code forms

If you’re a business, nonprofit, or school organizing a Labor Day initiative, using a QR code form is a smart and modern way to collect feedback, shout-outs, or RSVP responses from the community. 

With best form maker,  you can easily create a custom form using a form builder and generate a QR code that links directly to it.

Here’s how to do it:

• Build a quick form asking, “Who would you like to thank this Labor Day?” or “What does Labor Day mean to you?”
• Print the QR code on posters or share it online so people can scan and submit their responses.
• Display responses at your event or feature them on your website or social media feed.

It’s a simple way to drive engagement while keeping everything contactless and efficient.

3. Screen a documentary or host a talk on workers’ rights

Take the opportunity to educate others or yourself about the labor movement. Watch a documentary like American Factory or invite a local union rep or historian for a casual Q&A. This can be a small backyard gathering, a Zoom call, or a school presentation but it adds depth and meaning to the day.

4. Organize a volunteer drive

Use the day to help others in the workforce. Collect donations for unemployed workers, raise funds for labor organizations, or volunteer at local shelters. Even just a few hours of coordinated action can have a lasting impact and give the day more weight than a regular holiday.

5. Encourage reflection with journaling or classroom activities

If you’re a teacher or parent, turn Labor Day into a chance for younger generations to reflect. Ask kids to write about jobs they admire, play related trivia games, fun questions or create a short story from the perspective of a frontline worker. These exercises plant seeds of empathy and appreciation early on.

Make your Labor Day celebration interactive with a quick trivia form

However you spend Labor Day — grilling in the backyard, marching in a parade, or taking a quiet moment to reflect — remember the workers whose hands, skills, and dedication keep our communities thriving. Their fight for fair treatment and dignity at work is the reason we enjoy the freedoms and protections we have today.

And if you want to truly honor the holiday, share a piece of Labor Day trivia with someone — because every fact is a reminder of the struggles and victories that shaped our working lives.

Happy Labor Day.

FAQs