For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, February 22, 2013 USDL-13-0285
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 -- 2012
The volunteer rate declined by 0.3 percentage point to 26.5 percent for the year ending
in September 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. About 64.5 million
people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2011
and September 2012. The decline in the volunteer rate in 2012 followed an increase of
one-half of a percentage point in 2011.
These data on volunteering were collected through a supplement to the September 2012
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 among 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 (23.2 and 29.5 percent, respectively) changed
little in the year ending in September 2012. 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 (31.6 percent). Volunteer
rates were lowest among 20- to 24-year-olds (18.9 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 27.4 percent.
Among the major race and ethnicity groups, whites continued to volunteer at a higher rate
(27.8 percent) than did blacks (21.1 percent), Asians (19.6 percent), and Hispanics (15.2
percent). Of these groups, the volunteer rate for whites fell 0.4 percentage point in
2012, driven by a decline in the volunteer rate of white women. Among blacks, the rate
edged up 0.8 percentage point.
Married persons volunteered at a higher rate (31.9 percent) in 2012 than did those who
had never married (20.7 percent) and those with other marital statuses (21.3 percent).
The volunteer rate of parents with children under age 18 (33.5 percent) remained higher
than the rate for persons without children (23.8 percent).
Individuals with higher levels of education engaged in volunteer activities at higher
rates than did those with less education. Among persons age 25 and over, 42.2 percent
of college graduates volunteered, compared with 17.3 percent of high school graduates
and 8.8 percent of those with less than a high school diploma. The rate of volunteering
was about unchanged for college graduates. The rate declined for persons in the other
educational attainment categories.
Volunteers by Employment Status
Among employed persons, 29.1 percent volunteered during the year ending in September 2012.
By comparison, 23.8 percent of unemployed persons and 22.4 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--33.4 percent compared
with 28.1 percent. (See table 1.)
Total Annual Hours Spent Volunteering
Volunteers spent a median of 50 hours on volunteer activities during the period from
September 2011 to September 2012. Time spent on volunteer activities was similar for
women and men. Median annual hours spent on volunteer activities ranged from a low of
32 hours for those 25 to 34 years old to a high of 90 hours for volunteers age 65
and over. (See table 2.)
Table A. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2008 through September 2012
(Numbers in thousands)
September September September September September
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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..... 61,803 26.4 63,361 26.8 62,790 26.3 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5
Men.................. 26,268 23.2 26,655 23.3 26,787 23.2 27,354 23.5 27,238 23.2
Women ............... 35,535 29.4 36,706 30.1 36,004 29.3 36,898 29.9 37,274 29.5
Age
Total, 16 years and
over...,............ 61,803 26.4 63,361 26.8 62,790 26.3 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5
16 to 24 years....... 8,239 21.9 8,290 22.0 8,297 21.9 8,578 22.5 8,776 22.6
25 to 34 years....... 9,154 22.8 9,511 23.5 9,140 22.3 9,691 23.3 9,513 23.2
35 to 44 years....... 13,016 31.3 12,835 31.5 12,904 32.2 12,566 31.8 12,527 31.6
45 to 54 years....... 13,189 29.9 13,703 30.8 13,435 30.3 13,420 30.6 12,777 29.3
55 to 64 years....... 9,456 28.1 9,894 28.3 9,830 27.2 10,449 28.1 10,619 27.6
65 years and over.... 8,749 23.5 9,129 23.9 9,184 23.6 9,547 24.0 10,301 24.4
Race and Hispanic or
Latino ethnicity
White................. 53,078 27.9 54,078 28.3 53,556 27.8 54,432 28.2 53,778 27.8
Black or African
American............. 5,325 19.1 5,712 20.2 5,580 19.4 5,934 20.3 6,316 21.1
Asian................. 2,022 18.7 2,060 19.0 2,207 19.6 2,304 20.0 2,524 19.6
Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity............ 4,662 14.4 4,873 14.7 4,982 14.7 5,151 14.9 5,635 15.2
Educational attainment (1)
Less than a high school
diploma............. 2,427 9.4 2,242 8.6 2,231 8.8 2,461 9.8 2,177 8.8
High school graduates,
no college (2)........ 10,998 18.1 11,408 18.8 10,887 17.9 11,049 18.2 10,527 17.3
Some college or
associate degree...... 15,519 30.0 15,931 30.5 15,505 29.2 15,946 29.5 15,832 28.7
Bachelor's degree and
higher (3)............ 24,620 42.2 25,490 42.8 25,870 42.3 26,218 42.4 27,202 42.2
Employment status
Civilian labor force... 44,313 28.5 44,833 29.0 44,522 28.7 45,249 29.1 44,974 28.7
Employed.............. 42,131 28.9 41,372 29.7 40,980 29.2 41,881 29.6 42,083 29.1
Full time (4)........ 33,344 27.8 32,085 28.7 31,625 28.2 32,517 28.7 32,568 28.1
Part time (5)........ 8,788 34.2 9,287 33.7 9,355 33.2 9,363 33.3 9,515 33.4
Unemployed............ 2,181 22.3 3,462 22.9 3,542 23.8 3,368 23.8 2,891 23.8
Not in the labor force. 17,491 22.2 18,528 22.6 18,268 22.0 19,003 22.5 19,539 22.4
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.
Number and Type of Organizations
Most volunteers were involved with either one or two organizations--70.5 and 19.1 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 2012, 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 (25.5 percent) and social or community
service organizations (14.2 percent). (See table 4.)
Older volunteers were more likely to volunteer mainly for religious organizations than
were their younger counterparts. For example, 46.5 percent of volunteers age 65 and over
did their service mainly through or for a religious organization, compared with 26.5
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, 48.6 percent volunteered mainly for
religious organizations and 23.2 percent volunteered for educational or youth service
organizations. Of volunteers with a bachelor's degree and higher, 30.5 percent volunteered
mainly for religious organizations and 26.8 percent volunteered mainly for educational or
youth service organizations.
Among volunteers with children under 18 years old, 46.2 percent of mothers and 38.8
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 other types of organizations, such as social or
community service organizations, hospitals or other health organizations, and religious
organizations.
Main Volunteer Activity for Main Organization
Collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food (10.9 percent) and fundraising
(10.7 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 (11.6 percent) or coach,
referee, or supervise sports teams (10.1 percent). Female volunteers were most likely
to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food (12.3 percent) or fundraise (11.8 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. They were least likely
to collect, make, or distribute clothing, crafts, or goods other than food. Volunteers with
less than a high school diploma were more likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve
food 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 41.6 percent of volunteers became involved with their main organization after being
asked to volunteer, most often by someone in the organization. About 42.1 percent became
involved on their own initiative--that is, they approached the organization. (See table 6.)
