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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Business Employment Dynamics > Home

Nonprofit Sector Research Data

Overview

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has updated research data on employment and wages for the nonprofit sector for the years 2018 through 2022. Nonprofit data are now available from 2007 through 2022. These figures provide insight into this important segment of the U.S. economy. This update includes employment, wage, and establishment figures for 501(c)(3) organizations at the national, state, metropolitan statistical area, and county levels, along with industry estimates at the total private, sector, subsector, and industry group levels.

NEW! 2022 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2021 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2020 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2019 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2018 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)

Highlights of the 2018-2022 data on the nonprofit sector

In 2022, over 300,000 nonprofit establishments accounted for 12.8 million jobs, or 9.9 percent of all private-sector jobs.
Between 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, nonprofit employment fell by 4.5 percent, followed by over-the-year employment increases in the subsequent two years. In 2022, nonprofit employment was below its 2019 level by 1.4 percent.
Although nonprofit organizations are involved in all industry sectors, nearly 2 out of every 3 nonprofit jobs in 2022 were in the health care and social assistance sector (66.3 percent). Other sectors with high shares of nonprofit employment included educational services (16.4 percent); other services (6.3 percent); and arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.6 percent).
In the nonprofit sector, industry shares of employment showed little change from 2007 to 2022.
In 2022, Washington D.C. had the largest rate of nonprofit employment as a share of total employment, with 25 percent, followed by Vermont (20 percent) and Massachusetts (18 percent).

Publications

Nonprofits: a look at national trends in establishment size and employment, Monthly Labor Review, January 2024
Nonprofit organizations: using the BLS Business Register to measure employment, wages, and establishment size, Monthly Labor Review, November 2023
For-Profit, Nonprofit, and Government Sector Jobs in 2022, Spotlight on Statistics, October 2023
Celebrating National Nonprofit Day with BLS Data, Commissioner's Corner, August 2023
Nonprofits in America: new research data on employment, wages, and establishments, Monthly Labor Review, February 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

Will BLS regularly produce these data on nonprofits?

At present, BLS plans to update these research nonprofit data every five years.

When will the next updated version of the nonprofit data be released?

BLS plans to update these nonprofit data in 2029.

What about other types of tax-exempt organizations (e.g., 501(c)(4))?

At this time, BLS does not plan to publish data for other tax-exempt organizations.

Where can I find the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nonprofit datasets?

The IRS data on tax-exempt organizations, including nonprofits, can be obtained from the Exempt Organizations Business Master File.

Who can I contact if I have questions about the nonprofit data?

If you have any questions regarding the data or the methodology used to produce them, contact the Business Employment Dynamics information line.

Methodology

To create these nonprofit estimates, BLS matched data from two datasets. First, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), which is primarily based on unemployment insurance reports that nearly all employers are required to file, contains information about businesses' employment, wages, geographic location, and industry. Second, the Internal Revenue Service Exempt Organization Business Master File is a publicly available list of organizations with tax-exempt status and includes those classified as nonprofits, or 501(c)(3)s. For more information about the data sources and the matching process, see Nonprofit organizations: using the BLS Business Register to measure employment, wages, and establishment size.

Data Series Available

Nonprofit data for 2013-2022 are available at the national, state, metropolitan statistical area and county levels. Industry estimates are available at the total private, NAICS 2-digit, 3-digit, and 4-digit levels of detail. Nonprofit estimates for 2007-2012 are available at the total private and NAICS 2-digit and 3-digit levels nationally, and total private and NAICS 2-digit levels for the states.

Tables for state-level data include Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, these two territories are not included in U.S. totals.

Data Files

NEW! 2022 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2021 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2020 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2019 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
NEW! 2018 Nonprofit data file (XLSX)
2017 Annual Averages (XLSX)
2016 Annual Averages (XLSX)
2015 Annual Averages (XLSX)
2014 Annual Averages (XLSX)
2013 Annual Averages (XLSX)

National Total Private, NAICS 2-digit and 3-digit Industry Data

2012 annual averages (XLSX)
2011 annual averages (XLSX)
2010 annual averages (XLSX)
2009 annual averages (XLSX)
2008 annual averages (XLSX)
2007 annual averages (XLSX)

State Total Private and NAICS 2-digit Industry Data

2012 annual averages (XLSX)
2011 annual averages (XLSX)
2010 annual averages (XLSX)
2009 annual averages (XLSX)
2008 annual averages (XLSX)
2007 annual averages (XLSX)

Feedback

Comments on these data and underlying methodology can be submitted to the Business Employment Dynamics information line.

Last Modified Date: August 15, 2024