President Donald Trump proclaimed Sept. 7 as Labor Day, using the annual declaration to promote his administration's tax, trade, manufacturing and immigration policies.
The proclamation, signed Sept. 4, calls on public officials and people across the United States to mark the holiday with programs, ceremonies and activities honoring American workers.
Trump credited workers with building U.S. cities, sustaining major industries and carrying American manufacturing abroad. He said the federal government should support workers by strengthening the economy, expanding domestic manufacturing and encouraging innovation.
The president pointed to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which he signed last year. He said the law made tax cuts permanent, increased take-home pay for millions of families and permanently allowed small-business owners to deduct 20% of qualified business income.
Trump also used the proclamation to defend his tariff policy and broader trade agenda. He said companies are investing trillions of dollars in the United States and have added more than 900,000 American jobs, though the proclamation did not provide a timeframe or supporting data for those figures.
The president said U.S. manufacturing had expanded for six consecutive months and asserted that more auto plants were being built in the country than ever before. Those economic claims were presented as part of the administration's account of its record in the proclamation.
Trump also cited a proposed fee on H-1B visa petitions as part of an effort to encourage companies to recruit and train American workers before hiring workers from overseas. The proclamation did not provide the proposed fee amount, an implementation date or further details about how it would operate.
The declaration described domestic manufacturing and technological innovation as central to the administration's economic plans. It did not announce a new worker-benefit program or separate Labor Day funding initiative.
Labor Day is a federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. This year's proclamation designated Monday, Sept. 7, for the national observance.
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