Latin America celebrates Labor Day with high unemployment Latin America reached a historical record of 41 million unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Labor Organization estimated last year, amid the pandemic, that Latin America and the Caribbean will reach a record 41 million unemployed adults. Photo: Freepik LatinAmerican Post | Carlex Arujo In November 1884, the IV Congress of the American Federation of Labor was held in Chicago, in which it was proposed that as of May 1, 1886, employers would be forced to respect the 8-hour workday or face a strike. As a consequence, Andrew Johnson, the then president of the United States,