For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, February 25, 2014 USDL-14-0314
Technical information: (202) 691-6378 � [email protected] � www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 � [email protected]
VOLUNTEERING IN THE UNITED STATES -- 2013
The volunteer rate declined by 1.1 percentage points to 25.4 percent for the year ending
in September 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. About 62.6 million
people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2012
and September 2013. The volunteer rate in 2013 was the lowest it has been since the
supplement was first administered in 2002.
These data on volunteering were collected through a supplement to the September 2013
Current Population Survey (CPS). The supplement was sponsored by the Corporation for
National and Community Service. The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households
that obtains information on employment and unemployment for the nation's civilian
noninstitutional population age 16 and over. Volunteers are defined as persons who did
unpaid work (except for expenses) through or for an organization. For more information
about the volunteer supplement, see the Technical Note.
Volunteering Among Demographic Groups
The volunteer rates for both men and women (22.2 percent and 28.4 percent, respectively)
declined the year ending in September 2013. Women continued to volunteer at a higher rate
than did men across all age groups, educational levels, and other major demographic
characteristics. (See tables A and 1.)
By age, 35- to 44-year-olds were most likely to volunteer (30.6 percent). Volunteer rates
were lowest among 20- to 24-year-olds (18.5 percent). For persons 45 years and over, the
volunteer rate tapered off as age increased. Teens (16- to 19-year-olds) had a volunteer
rate of 26.2 percent.
Among the major race and ethnicity groups, whites continued to volunteer at a higher rate
(27.1 percent) than did blacks (18.5 percent), Asians (19.0 percent), and Hispanics
(15.5 percent). Of these groups, the volunteer rate fell for whites (by 0.7 percentage
point) and blacks (by 2.6 percentage points) in 2013. The volunteer rates for Asians and
Hispanics were little changed.
Married persons volunteered at a higher rate (30.7 percent) in 2013 than did those who had
never married (20.0 percent) and those with other marital statuses (20.5 percent). The
rates declined over the year for each marital status category. In 2013, the volunteer rate
of parents with children under age 18 (32.9 percent) remained higher than the rate for
persons without children (22.7 percent). The volunteer rate of persons without children
under age 18 declined over the year, while the rate for parents was little changed.
Individuals with higher levels of education engaged in volunteer activities at higher rates
than did those with less education in 2013. Among persons age 25 and over, 39.8 percent of
college graduates volunteered, compared with 27.7 percent of persons with some college or
an associate�s degree, 16.7 percent of high school graduates, and 9.0 percent of those with
less than a high school diploma. The rate of volunteering was about unchanged for people
with less than a high school diploma, while the rate declined for persons in all other
educational attainment categories.
Volunteers by Employment Status
Among employed persons, 27.7 percent volunteered during the year ending in September 2013.
By comparison, 24.1 percent of unemployed persons and 21.9 percent of those not in the
labor force volunteered. Among the employed, part-time workers were more likely than
full-time workers to have participated in volunteer activities--31.7 percent, compared
with 26.8 percent. The volunteer rate was little changed among unemployed persons but
declined for the employed and those not in the labor force. (See table 1.)
Table A. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2009 through September 2013
September September September September September
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Characteristics Per- Per- Per- Per- Per-
cent cent cent cent cent
of of of of of
Number pop- Number pop- Number pop- Number pop- Number pop-
ula- ula- ula- ula- ula-
tion tion tion tion tion
Sex
Total, both sexes... 63,361 26.8 62,790 26.3 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5 62,615 25.4
Men................ 26,655 23.3 26,787 23.2 27,354 23.5 27,238 23.2 26,404 22.2
Women ............. 36,706 30.1 36,004 29.3 36,898 29.9 37,274 29.5 36,211 28.4
Age
Total, 16 years
and over........... 63,361 26.8 62,790 26.3 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5 62,615 25.4
16 to 24 years..... 8,290 22.0 8,297 21.9 8,578 22.5 8,776 22.6 8,466 21.8
25 to 34 years..... 9,511 23.5 9,140 22.3 9,691 23.3 9,513 23.2 9,118 21.9
35 to 44 years..... 12,835 31.5 12,904 32.2 12,566 31.8 12,527 31.6 12,098 30.6
45 to 54 years..... 13,703 30.8 13,435 30.3 13,420 30.6 12,777 29.3 12,184 28.2
55 to 64 years..... 9,894 28.3 9,830 27.2 10,449 28.1 10,619 27.6 10,191 26.0
65 years and over.. 9,129 23.9 9,184 23.6 9,547 24.0 10,301 24.4 10,558 24.1
Race and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity
White............... 54,078 28.3 53,556 27.8 54,432 28.2 53,778 27.8 52,685 27.1
Black or African
American........... 5,712 20.2 5,580 19.4 5,934 20.3 6,316 21.1 5,637 18.5
Asian............... 2,060 19.0 2,207 19.6 2,304 20.0 2,524 19.6 2,525 19.0
Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity.......... 4,873 14.7 4,982 14.7 5,151 14.9 5,635 15.2 5,838 15.5
Educational
attainment (1)
Less than a high
school diploma..... 2,242 8.6 2,231 8.8 2,461 9.8 2,177 8.8 2,204 9.0
High school
graduates, no
college (2)........ 11,408 18.8 10,887 17.9 11,049 18.2 10,527 17.3 10,138 16.7
Some college or
associate degree... 15,931 30.5 5,505 29.2 15,946 29.5 15,832 28.7 15,562 27.7
Bachelor's degree
and higher (3)..... 25,490 42.8 25,870 42.3 26,218 42.4 27,202 42.2 26,244 39.8
Employment status
Civilian labor
force.............. 44,833 29.0 44,522 28.7 45,249 29.1 44,974 28.7 43,162 27.5
Employed........... 41,372 29.7 40,980 29.2 41,881 29.6 42,083 29.1 40,401 27.7
Full time (4)..... 32,085 28.7 31,625 28.2 32,517 28.7 32,568 28.1 31,524 26.8
Part time (5)..... 9,287 33.7 9,355 33.2 9,363 33.3 9,515 33.4 8,877 31.7
Unemployed......... 3,462 22.9 3,542 23.8 3,368 23.8 2,891 23.8 2,761 24.1
Not in the labor
force.............. 18,528 22.6 18,268 22.0 19,003 22.5 19,539 22.4 19,452 21.9
1 Data refer to persons 25 years and over.
2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
3 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
4 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs.
5 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs.
NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and
Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose
ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population
controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Data on volunteers
relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any
point in the year ending in September. See the Technical Note for further information.
Total Annual Hours Spent Volunteering
Volunteers spent a median of 50 hours on volunteer activities during the period from
September 2012 to September 2013. Time spent on volunteer activities was similar for
women and men. Among those who volunteered, median annual hours spent on volunteer
activities ranged from a low of 36 hours for those 25 to 34 years old to a high of 86
hours for those age 65 and over. (See table 2.)
Number and Type of Organizations
Most volunteers were involved with either one or two organizations--71.3 percent and
19.0 percent, respectively. Individuals with higher educational attainment were more
likely to volunteer for multiple organizations than were those with less education.
(See table 3.)
In 2013, the main organization--the organization for which the volunteer worked the most
hours during the year--was most frequently religious (33.0 percent of all volunteers),
followed by educational or youth service related (25.6 percent) and social or community
service organizations (14.7 percent). (See table 4.)
Older volunteers were more likely to volunteer mainly for religious organizations than
were their younger counterparts. Of volunteers age 65 and over, 42.9 percent did their
service mainly through or for a religious organization, compared with 26.8 percent of
volunteers age 16 to 24.
For all levels of educational attainment, volunteers were most likely to volunteer for
religious organizations, followed by educational or youth service organizations. Among
volunteers with less than a high school diploma, 47.5 percent volunteered mainly for
religious organizations and 23.8 percent volunteered for educational or youth service
organizations. Of volunteers with a bachelor's degree and higher, 29.6 percent
volunteered mainly for religious organizations and 27.3 percent volunteered mainly
for educational or youth service organizations.
Among volunteers with children under 18 years old, 44.5 percent of mothers and 38.3
percent of fathers volunteered mainly for an educational or youth service organization,
such as a school or scouting group. Volunteers without children under age 18 were more
likely than parents to volunteer for other types of organizations, such as social or
community service organizations and religious organizations.
Main Volunteer Activity for Main Organization
Collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food (10.9 percent), fundraising (10.0
percent), and tutoring or teaching (9.8 percent) were the activities volunteers performed
most frequently for their main organization. Men and women tended to engage in different
main activities. Men who volunteered were most likely to engage in general labor (11.4
percent) or coach, referee, or supervise sports teams (9.9 percent). Female volunteers
were most likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food (12.5 percent), fundraise
(11.5 percent), or tutor or teach (11.4 percent). (See table 5.)
The main types of activities volunteers performed varied by educational attainment. Persons
with a bachelor's degree and higher were more likely than those with less education to
provide professional or management assistance or to tutor or teach. Volunteers with less
than a high school diploma were more likely to engage in general labor or be an usher,
greeter, or minister than those with higher levels of education.
Parents were considerably more likely than those without children to engage mainly in
volunteer activities that are frequently related to children--including coaching,
refereeing, or supervising sports teams; tutoring or teaching; and mentoring youth.
How Volunteers Became Involved with Main Organization
About 40.8 percent of volunteers became involved with their main organization after being
asked to volunteer, most often by someone in the organization. About 43.0 percent became
involved on their own initiative--that is, they approached the organization. (See table 6.)
