For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Thursday, February 25, 2016 USDL-16-0363
Technical information: (202) 691-6378 * cpsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
VOLUNTEERING IN THE UNITED STATES -- 2015
The volunteer rate declined by 0.4 percentage point to 24.9 percent for the year
ending in September 2015, 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 2014 and September 2015.
These data on volunteering were collected through a supplement to the September
2015 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 in this news release.
Volunteering Among Demographic Groups
The volunteer rate for men was little changed at 21.8 percent for the year
ending in September 2015. The rate for women was 27.8 percent, down from 28.3
percent in the previous year. Across all age groups, educational levels, and
other major demographic characteristics, women continued to volunteer at a
higher rate than men. (See tables A and 1.)
By age, 35- to 44-year-olds and 45- to 54-year-olds were the most likely to
volunteer (28.9 percent and 28.0 percent, respectively). Volunteer rates were
lowest among 20- to 24-year-olds (18.4 percent). Teenagers (16- to 19-year-olds)
continued to have a relatively high volunteer rate, at 26.4 percent. Over the
year, the volunteer rates for 35- to 44-year-olds and 55- to 64-year-olds
declined.
Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Whites continued to volunteer at
a higher rate (26.4 percent) than Blacks (19.3 percent), Asians (17.9 percent),
and Hispanics (15.5 percent). In 2015, the volunteer rate showed little or no
change for all of the major race and ethnicity groups.
Married persons volunteered at a higher rate (29.9 percent) in 2015 than
those who had never married (19.9 percent) and those with other marital
statuses (20.2 percent). Over the year, the rate declined for those with other
marital statuses by 0.9 percentage point. In 2015, parents with children under
age 18 were again more likely to volunteer than persons without children, 31.3
percent versus 22.6 percent. The volunteer rate of persons without children
under age 18 declined over the year, while the rate for parents with children
under age 18 was little different from a year earlier.
Individuals with higher levels of education were more likely to volunteer than
were those with less education. Among persons age 25 and over, 38.8 percent of
college graduates with a bachelor's degree and higher volunteered, compared
with 26.5 percent of persons with some college or an associate's degree, 15.6
percent of high school graduates, and 8.1 percent of those with less than a
high school diploma. The rate of volunteering declined for persons across all
levels of educational attainment in 2015.
Volunteering by Employment Status
Among the employed, 27.2 percent volunteered during the year ending in
September 2015. By comparison, 23.3 percent of unemployed persons and 21.4
percent of those not in the labor force volunteered. Persons employed part
time were more likely than full-time workers to have participated in volunteer
activities--31.1 percent versus 26.3 percent. The volunteer rate was little
changed among employed and unemployed persons but declined for those not in
the labor force. (See table 1.)
Total Annual Hours Spent Volunteering
Volunteers spent a median of 52 hours on volunteer activities during the
period from September 2014 to September 2015. Time spent on volunteer
activities was similar for men (52 hours) and women (50 hours). Among those
who volunteered, median annual hours spent on volunteer activities ranged
from a high of 94 hours for those age 65 and over to a low of 36 hours for
those under 35 years old. (See table 2.)
Number and Type of Organizations
Most volunteers were involved with either one or two organizations--72.0
percent and 18.3 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 2015, the main organization--the organization for which the volunteer worked
the most hours during the year--was most frequently religious (33.1 percent of
all volunteers), followed by educational or youth service related (25.2 percent).
Another 14.6 percent of volunteers performed activities mainly for social or
community service organizations. (See table 4.)
Older volunteers were more likely to volunteer mainly for religious organizations
than were younger volunteers. Of volunteers age 65 and over, 42.7 percent served mainly
through or for a religious organization, compared with 25.4 percent of volunteers
age 16 to 24.
Across all levels of educational attainment, volunteers were most likely to
volunteer for religious organizations, followed by education or youth service
organizations. Volunteering mainly for religious organizations decreased as
education increased, from 52.7 percent of those with less than a high school
diploma to 29.9 percent of those with a bachelor's degree and higher.
Volunteering primarily for educational or youth service organizations increased
with educational attainment; 19.9 percent of volunteers with less than a high
school diploma volunteered for educational or youth service organizations,
compared with 26.3 percent of volunteers with a bachelor's degree and higher.
Among volunteers with children under age 18, 45.1 percent of mothers and 36.8
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 most other types
of organizations.
Main Volunteer Activity for Main Organization
Collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food was the activity volunteers
performed most often for their main organization in 2015--11.3 percent of
volunteers reported this as their main activity. Other activities performed
frequently were tutoring or teaching (9.2 percent), fundraising (9.0 percent),
and engaging in general labor (8.8 percent). However, main activities differed
among men and women. Men who volunteered were most likely to engage in general
labor (12.3 percent); coach, referee, or supervise sports teams (9.3 percent);
or collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food (9.2 percent). Female volunteers
were most likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food (12.9 percent);
tutor or teach (10.6 percent); or fundraise (9.9 percent). (See table 5.)
The main types of activities volunteers performed also varied by educational
attainment. Persons with a bachelor's degree and higher were more likely to
provide professional or management assistance or to tutor or teach than volunteers
with less education. Volunteers with less than a bachelor's degree were more
likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food or engage in general labor
than those with at least a bachelor's degree.
Among volunteers in 2015, parents were more likely than those without children
to primarily engage in activities often associated with children--including
coaching, refereeing, or supervising sports teams; tutoring or teaching; and
mentoring youth.
How Volunteers Became Involved with Main Organization
Between September 2014 and September 2015, the proportion of volunteers who became
involved with their main organization after being asked to volunteer (41.2 percent)
was about the same as the proportion who became involved on their own (41.6 percent)
--that is, those who approached the organization. Those who were asked to volunteer
were most often asked by someone in the organization. (See table 6.)
Table A. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2011 through September 2015
(Numbers in thousands)
September 2011 September 2012 September 2013 September 2014 September 2015
Characteristics Number Percent of Number Percent of Number Percent of Number Percent of Number Percent of
population population population population population
Sex
Total, both sexes....................... 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5 62,615 25.4 62,757 25.3 62,623 24.9
Men.................................... 27,354 23.5 27,238 23.2 26,404 22.2 26,375 22.0 26,498 21.8
Women ................................. 36,898 29.9 37,274 29.5 36,211 28.4 36,381 28.3 36,126 27.8
Age
Total, 16 years and over................ 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5 62,615 25.4 62,757 25.3 62,623 24.9
16 to 24 years......................... 8,578 22.5 8,776 22.6 8,466 21.8 8,469 21.9 8,415 21.8
25 to 34 years......................... 9,691 23.3 9,513 23.2 9,118 21.9 9,291 22.0 9,548 22.3
35 to 44 years......................... 12,566 31.8 12,527 31.6 12,098 30.6 11,783 29.8 11,490 28.9
45 to 54 years......................... 13,420 30.6 12,777 29.3 12,184 28.2 12,204 28.5 11,933 28.0
55 to 64 years......................... 10,449 28.1 10,619 27.6 10,191 26.0 10,331 25.9 10,213 25.1
65 years and over...................... 9,547 24.0 10,301 24.4 10,558 24.1 10,679 23.6 11,024 23.5
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
White................................... 54,432 28.2 53,778 27.8 52,685 27.1 52,201 26.7 51,986 26.4
Black or African American............... 5,934 20.3 6,316 21.1 5,637 18.5 6,094 19.7 6,086 19.3
Asian................................... 2,304 20.0 2,524 19.6 2,525 19.0 2,513 18.2 2,596 17.9
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............ 5,151 14.9 5,635 15.2 5,838 15.5 5,982 15.5 6,165 15.5
Educational attainment (1)
Less than a high school diploma......... 2,461 9.8 2,177 8.8 2,204 9.0 2,100 8.8 1,900 8.1
High school graduates, no college (2)... 11,049 18.2 10,527 17.3 10,138 16.7 10,075 16.4 9,576 15.6
Some college or associate degree........ 15,946 29.5 15,832 28.7 15,562 27.7 15,494 27.3 15,102 26.5
Bachelor's degree and higher (3)........ 26,218 42.4 27,202 42.2 26,244 39.8 26,619 39.4 27,629 38.8
Employment status
Civilian labor force.................... 45,249 29.1 44,974 28.7 43,162 27.5 42,780 27.3 42,563 27.0
Employed............................... 41,881 29.6 42,083 29.1 40,401 27.7 40,497 27.5 40,701 27.2
Full time (4)......................... 32,517 28.7 32,568 28.1 31,524 26.8 31,557 26.5 32,085 26.3
Part time (5)......................... 9,363 33.3 9,515 33.4 8,877 31.7 8,940 31.7 8,616 31.1
Unemployed............................. 3,368 23.8 2,891 23.8 2,761 24.1 2,283 24.0 1,861 23.3
Not in the labor force.................. 19,003 22.5 19,539 22.4 19,452 21.9 19,977 21.8 20,060 21.4
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.
United States Department of Labor
