AAA: Highest Number of Labor Day Travelers Since 2008

During the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, 34.7 million Americans are projected to travel 50 miles or more from home, a 1.3% increase over 2013, according to the “AAA Labor Day Travel Forecast.” This is the highest projection of travelers for the Labor Day holiday since 2008.

According to AAA Travel, 29.7 million travelers plan to travel by automobile, an increase of 1.4% from last year’s Labor Day weekend. The Labor Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday Aug. 28 to Monday Sept. 1.

"As the economy makes modest gains, more Americans are joining the labor force this year," said Marshall L. Doney, AAA chief operating officer. "With Labor Day symbolizing the American workers' contributions to the strength and prosperity of our country, it's only fitting that millions are choosing to celebrate this positive direction with an all-American road trip."

AAA predicts gas prices to have little impact on the number of travelers for Labor Day. The current price of gas is $3.44 compared to $3.59 during Labor Day last year, says AAA.

And when it comes to car rental, weekend daily car rental rates will average $51, the same as last year, according to the AAA report.

For the complete “AAA/IHS Global Insight Labor Day Forecast,” visit http://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014-Labor-Day-Holiday-Report-Final1.pdf.