Memorial Day: Remember And Honor

Memorial Day marks not only the beginning of summer but also a solemn day of remembrance for all veterans who have died serving in the American armed force. The holiday was originally known as Decoration Day and started after the civil war to honor the union and confederate dead. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield gave a speech in Arlington National Cemetery to over 5,000 participants; they decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. Nevertheless, in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo, which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866, was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

The event in Charleston that also may have precipitated the holiday offers poignant evidence of a country struggling to rebuild itself after a bloody war and were buried in unmarked graves, and the town’s black residents organized a May Day ceremony in which they landscaped a burial ground to properly honor the soldiers. In the years following the war, celebrations were sparse and few, the north and the south celebrating in distinctly different ways. Memorial Day gained its name and national identity in 1967, decades after the civil war However, it wasn’t until a year later, 1968, that congress passed the uniform holiday act cementing Memorial Days place in the calendar, making it the last Monday in May rather than May 30. Authenticating Memorial Day when the change finally went into effect in 1971. Now a days we celebrate Memorial Day on the beach or in a lawn chair, but its history comes from a much deeper, profound meaningful celebration.

Source:

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history/pictures/memorial-day/birthplace-of-memorial-day

http://time.com/3892630/why-do-we-celebrate-memorial-day/

More Jobs, More Money, Less Unemployment

Ever since the beginning of 2018, the US economy has been on a steady up surge with regards to both employment, and earnings. In the month of April, however even though trade tensions are predominant, and the financial markets are volatile; business have been able to boost job openings to 200,000 jobs according to the ADP Research Institute. This drastic increase signals that the job market is not only remaining strong, but also shows a very bright and prosperous future for the next several months, or even years.

In addition, to the creation of the 200,000 jobs in the month of April; payrolls according to the ADP Research Institute ‘Rose by $204k, and payrolls in goods-producing industries increased by $44k’. Having both the increase in jobs, and payrolls indicate a positive sign for the future of the US economy, and as a result the unemployment rate according to the Labor Department is expected to “continue to decline”. This increase in demand for labor is seen in almost all industries, such as construction, professional services and healthcare. Being more specific it was projected that “hiring in construction climbed by 27,000”, “Professional and business services boosted their workforce by 58,000”, and “health services added 35,000 workers”.

Both the rise in job creation, and payrolls provide great optimism for the US economy in the short, and long term. As stated due to the high demand in the labor market, more and more people will begin to climb out of poverty, and unemployment and provide for themselves. As a result, this will then further increase the growth in more industries, small businesses, and large businesses. If the status quo is maintained, we can expect the further growth of more markets for the next several months in both payrolls and job creation.

 

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/payroll-gains-in-us-exceed-200000-for-fifth-month-adp-says/2018/05/02/f51d0af0-4e0a-11e8-85c1-9326c4511033_story.html?utm_term=.18eda196e37