Technical information: (202) 691-6378 USDL 02-686 http://www.bls.gov/cps/ For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, December 18, 2002 VOLUNTEERING IN THE UNITED STATES About 59 million people did volunteer work at some point from September 2001 to September 2002, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Depart- ment of Labor reported today. These new data on volunteer service were collected through a supplement to the September 2002 Current Population Survey (CPS). That supplement has generated information from households across the country regarding the extent and type of volunteer service done through or for organizations. The survey found that slightly more than 1 in 4 persons age 16 and over volunteered. The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that obtains information on employment and unemployment among the nation's civilian non- institutional population age 16 and over. For more information about the volunteer supplement, see the Technical Note. Some of the highlights from the 2002 data include: -- The volunteer rate was higher among women than men. -- Employed persons were more likely to volunteer than persons who were unemployed or not in the labor force. -- Among persons 25 years of age and over, the volunteer rate of college graduates was four times that of high school dropouts. -- The main organization for which the majority of volunteers worked was either religious or educational/youth-service related. -- Volunteers spent a median of 52 hours volunteering during the year. Characteristics of Volunteers Fifty-nine million persons, or 27.6 percent of the civilian noninstitu- tional population age 16 and over, volunteered through or for organizations at some point during the period from September 2001 to September 2002. The incidence of volunteering was higher among women (31.1 percent) than among men (23.8 percent), a relationship that held across age groups, education levels, and other major characteristics. (See table 1.) Among the age groups, 35- to 54-year olds were the most likely to volunteer, with 1 in 3 having donated their time. Volunteer rates were lowest among persons age 65 years and over (22.7 percent) and among those in their early twenties (18.2 percent). Teenagers had a relatively high volunteer rate, 26.9 percent, perhaps reflecting an emphasis on volunteer activities in schools. Among persons 25 years of age and over, 43.6 percent of college graduates volunteered during the year, double the volunteer rate of high school graduates with no college experience and more than four times the rate of high school dropouts. - 2 - Parents with children under age 18 were more likely to volunteer than persons with no children of that age, with volunteer rates of 36.5 percent and 23.7 percent, respectively. Volunteer rates were higher among married persons (32.7 percent) than among singles (21.2 percent) and persons of other marital status (22.1 percent). Overall, nearly 30 percent of all employed persons had volunteered during the year. By comparison, the volunteer rates of persons who were unemployed (25.3 percent) or not in the labor force (23.7 percent) were lower. Among the employed, part-time workers were more likely than full- time workers to have participated in volunteer activities--35.5 percent and 28.5 percent, respectively. Total Annual Hours Spent Volunteering Volunteers spent a median of 52 hours doing volunteer activities during the period from September 2001 to September 2002. While 28.2 percent of volunteers reported spending 100 to 499 hours doing volunteer work, 21.5 percent spent only 1 to 14 hours volunteering. (See table 2.) Among the age groups, volunteers age 65 and over devoted the most time--a median of 96 hours--to volunteer activities. Those age 25 to 34 years spent the least time, volunteering a median of 34 hours during the year. Number and Type of Organizations Most volunteers provided their services through or for one or two organizations--69.1 percent and 19.3 percent, respectively. (See table 3.) The main organization--the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year--for the majority of volunteers was either religious (33.9 percent) or educational/youth-service related (27.2 percent). Another 12.1 percent of volunteers performed activities mainly for social or community service organizations, and 8.6 percent volunteered the most hours for hospitals or other health organizations. (See table 4.) Older volunteers were more likely to volunteer mainly for religious organizations, such as churches, than their younger counterparts. For example, 45.2 percent of volunteers age 65 and over performed volunteer activities mainly through or for a religious organization, compared with 28.6 percent of volunteers age 25 to 34 years. Among volunteers with children under 18 years, 45.9 percent of mothers and 37.9 percent of fathers volunteered mainly for an educational/youth- service related organization, such as a school or little league. Parents were more than twice as likely to volunteer for such organizations as persons with no children of that age. Conversely, volunteers with no children under 18 were about twice as likely as parents to volunteer for a social or community service organization, such as a homeless shelter or a senior citizen center. - 3 - Volunteer Activities for Main Organization Volunteers performed many different types of activities. Among the more commonly reported (volunteers could report more than one activity) were teaching or coaching (24.4 percent); canvassing, campaigning, or fundraising (22.9 percent); collecting, making, serving, or delivering goods (22.2 percent); and being a board, committee, or neighborhood association member (16.3 percent). Forty-three percent of volunteers indicated that their activities fell into the "catch-all" category of organize, supervise, or help with events or activities. (See table 5.) The distribution of activities differed across major demographic groups. For example, parents of children under 18 were much more likely to teach or coach than were persons with no children of that age, and college graduates were more than twice as likely as those with less than a high school diploma to do consulting or administrative work. How Volunteers Became Involved with Main Organization Two in five volunteers became involved with the main organization for which they did volunteer work on their own initiative: That is, they approached the organization. Another 2 in 5 were asked to become a volunteer, most often by somebody in the organization. (See table 6.) Technical Note The data in this release were collected through a supplement to the September 2002 Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS--a monthly survey of about 60,000 households, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics--focuses on obtaining information on employment and unemployment among the nation's civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. The purpose of this supplement to the CPS was to obtain information on the incidence of volunteering and the characteristics of volunteers in the United States. Information in this release will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339. Reliability of the estimates Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct infor- mation, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and for information on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error" section of Employment and Earnings. Volunteer questions and concepts In the September 2002 supplement, questions on volunteer activities were asked of all households. Efforts were made to have household members answer the volunteer questions for themselves. (Generally, one member of the house- hold answers all the questions in the CPS.) Self response was considered important for the volunteer supplement because research indicated that self respondents could more easily answer questions on the characteristics of the volunteer activity. About three-quarters of the responses were self reports. The survey was introduced as follows: "This month, we are interested in volunteer activities, that is, activities for which people are not paid, except perhaps expenses. We only want you to include volunteer activities that you did through or for an organization, even if you only did them once in a while." Following this introduction, respondents were asked the first supplement question: "Since September 1st of last year, have you done any volunteer activities through or for an organization?" If respondents did not answer "yes" to the first question, they were asked the following question: "Sometimes people don't think of activities they do infrequently or activities they do for children's schools or youth organiza- tions as volunteer activities. Since September 1st of last year, have you done any of these types of volunteer activities?" Respondents were considered volunteers if they answered "yes" to either of these questions. Respondents thus classified as volunteers were asked further questions about the number and type of organizations for which they volunteered, total hours spent volunteering, how they became involved with the main organization for which they volunteered, and the type of activities they performed for the main organization. Non-volunteers were asked a question about what would encourage them to volunteer. The reference period for the questions on volunteering was about 1 year, from September 1, 2001, through the survey week in September 2002. The reference period for other characteristics, such as labor force status, educational attainment, and marital status, refer to the survey reference week in September 2002. It is possible that these characteristics were different at the time volunteer activities were performed. The last CPS supplement on volunteer activities was conducted in May 1989. However, the surveys are not directly comparable. The wording of the questions differed between the two surveys, and the reference periods for volunteer activity were not specified in the same way. Furthermore, the September 2002 survey collected information from volunteers that was not obtained in May 1989, such as the type of activities performed for their main organization and how they became involved. Definitions Volunteers are persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities at any point from September 1, 2001, through the survey period in September 2002. The count of volunteers only includes persons who volunteered through or for an organization; the figures do not include persons who volunteered in a more informal manner. For example, a woman who teaches acting to children through a local theater would be considered a volunteer. A woman who, on her own, organizes softball games for the children in her neighborhood would not be counted as a volunteer for the purpose of this survey. Organizations are associations, societies, or groups of people who share a common interest. Examples include churches, youth groups, and civic organizations. For the purpose of this study, organizations are classified into eight major categories, including religious, youth, and social or community service organizations. (See table 4.) The main organization is the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year. If a respondent volunteered for only one organization, it was considered the main organization, even if exact hours were not obtained. In order to identify the type of main organization, respondents had to provide information about the organization and, for those who volunteered for more than one organization, annual hours worked for each. Some res- pondents did not provide the information necessary to determine the type of main organization. For these respondents, the follow-up questions on activities and how they became involved with the main organization asked them to report on the organization for which they think they spent the most time volunteering. Table 1. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2002 (Numbers in thousands) Total, both sexes Men Women Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers Characteristics Civilian Civilian Civilian in September 2002 noninsti- noninsti- noninsti- tutional Percent tutional Percent tutional Percent popula- Number of popula- Number of popula- Number of tion popula- tion popula- tion popula- tion tion tion Age Total, 16 years and over........... 214,429 59,163 27.6 103,148 24,514 23.8 111,281 34,649 31.1 16 to 24 years................... 35,470 7,860 22.2 17,851 3,318 18.6 17,619 4,543 25.8 16 to 19 years................ 16,158 4,346 26.9 8,214 1,888 23.0 7,944 2,458 30.9 20 to 24 years................ 19,312 3,515 18.2 9,637 1,430 14.8 9,675 2,085 21.5 25 years and over................ 178,959 51,303 28.7 85,298 21,197 24.9 93,662 30,106 32.1 25 to 34 years................ 36,907 9,279 25.1 17,983 3,536 19.7 18,924 5,743 30.3 35 to 44 years................ 43,888 15,089 34.4 21,661 6,210 28.7 22,226 8,879 39.9 45 to 54 years................ 39,172 12,296 31.4 19,098 5,340 28.0 20,075 6,956 34.7 55 to 64 years................ 25,993 7,146 27.5 12,431 3,098 24.9 13,562 4,048 29.8 65 years and over............. 32,998 7,492 22.7 14,124 3,012 21.3 18,874 4,480 23.7 Race and Hispanic origin White.............................. 177,628 52,164 29.4 86,321 21,698 25.1 91,307 30,466 33.4 Black.............................. 26,039 4,987 19.2 11,696 1,955 16.7 14,344 3,032 21.1 Hispanic origin.................... 24,065 3,769 15.7 11,845 1,522 12.9 12,220 2,246 18.4 Educational attainment(1) Less than a high school diploma.... 26,999 2,734 10.1 12,970 1,149 8.9 14,029 1,585 11.3 High school graduate, no college(2) 57,664 12,293 21.3 26,772 4,612 17.2 30,892 7,681 24.9 Less than a bachelor's degree(3)... 45,314 14,919 32.9 20,650 5,734 27.8 24,664 9,185 37.2 College graduates.................. 48,982 21,357 43.6 24,906 9,702 39.0 24,077 11,655 48.4 Marital status Single, never married.............. 57,316 12,177 21.2 30,621 5,300 17.3 26,694 6,877 25.8 Married, spouse present............ 115,706 37,823 32.7 58,456 16,764 28.7 57,250 21,059 36.8 Other marital status(4)............ 41,408 9,163 22.1 14,071 2,450 17.4 27,337 6,713 24.6 Presence of own children under 18 years(5) Without own children under 18...... 149,204 35,371 23.7 74,167 15,143 20.4 75,037 20,227 27.0 With own children under 18......... 65,225 23,793 36.5 28,981 9,371 32.3 36,244 14,421 39.8 Employment status Civilian labor force............... 143,761 42,396 29.5 76,680 19,539 25.5 67,081 22,857 34.1 Employed......................... 135,794 40,379 29.7 72,511 18,684 25.8 63,283 21,695 34.3 Full time(6)................... 111,905 31,910 28.5 64,719 16,683 25.8 47,186 15,227 32.3 Part time(7)................... 23,889 8,469 35.5 7,792 2,001 25.7 16,097 6,468 40.2 Unemployed....................... 7,968 2,016 25.3 4,170 855 20.5 3,798 1,162 30.6 Not in the labor force............. 70,668 16,767 23.7 26,468 4,976 18.8 44,200 11,792 26.7 1 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 2 Includes high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree. 4 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 5 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 6 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 7 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs. NOTE: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2001, through the survey period in September 2002. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Table 2. Volunteers by annual hours of volunteer activities and selected characteristics, September 2002 Percent distribution of total annual hours spent volunteering at all organizations Total volunteers Median Characteristics (thousands) Not annual in September 2002 100 to 500 report- hours(1) Total 499 hours ing 1 to 15 to 50 to hours and annual 14 49 99 over hours hours hours hours Sex Total, both sexes.................. 59,163 100.0 21.5 24.1 14.8 28.2 5.9 5.5 52 Men.............................. 24,514 100.0 21.1 23.4 14.5 28.9 6.6 5.4 52 Women............................ 34,649 100.0 21.8 24.6 15.0 27.6 5.4 5.6 50 Age Total, 16 years and over........... 59,163 100.0 21.5 24.1 14.8 28.2 5.9 5.5 52 16 to 24 years................... 7,860 100.0 25.2 27.9 14.2 22.0 4.1 6.6 40 16 to 19 years................ 4,346 100.0 23.7 29.4 15.2 22.0 2.8 6.9 40 20 to 24 years................ 3,515 100.0 27.1 26.0 12.9 22.0 5.7 6.3 36 25 years and over................ 51,303 100.0 21.0 23.5 14.9 29.1 6.2 5.3 52 25 to 34 years................ 9,279 100.0 29.2 26.5 13.6 23.2 3.5 4.0 34 35 to 44 years................ 15,089 100.0 21.0 24.8 16.3 27.8 5.8 4.3 52 45 to 54 years................ 12,296 100.0 20.5 23.0 15.9 29.7 5.7 5.3 53 55 to 64 years................ 7,146 100.0 18.1 21.9 14.2 32.2 7.4 6.1 60 65 years and over............. 7,492 100.0 14.2 19.4 12.8 35.4 10.0 8.2 96 Race and Hispanic origin White.............................. 52,164 100.0 21.4 24.4 15.1 28.1 5.8 5.2 52 Black.............................. 4,987 100.0 21.0 22.2 12.6 29.8 7.0 7.5 52 Hispanic origin.................... 3,769 100.0 22.9 26.6 14.9 24.3 5.2 6.0 44 Educational attainment(2) Less than a high school diploma.... 2,734 100.0 26.0 21.6 13.8 25.3 6.1 7.2 48 High school graduate, no college(3) 12,293 100.0 24.1 22.7 14.0 26.8 6.1 6.3 50 Less than a bachelor's degree(4)... 14,919 100.0 21.1 23.3 14.5 29.7 6.4 5.1 52 College graduates.................. 21,357 100.0 18.4 24.4 15.8 30.6 6.2 4.7 60 Marital status Single, never married.............. 12,177 100.0 24.3 27.3 14.4 23.1 4.7 6.1 40 Married, spouse present............ 37,823 100.0 20.8 23.2 15.1 29.8 6.0 5.2 53 Other marital status(5)............ 9,163 100.0 20.8 23.6 14.1 28.5 7.1 6.0 52 Presence of own children under 18 years(6) Men: No own children under 18 years old............................ 15,143 100.0 20.6 23.6 13.9 28.5 7.2 6.2 52 With own children under 18 years old............................ 9,371 100.0 21.9 23.1 15.4 29.7 5.7 4.1 52 Women: No own children under 18 years old............................ 20,227 100.0 20.8 24.6 14.4 28.2 5.5 6.4 52 With own children under 18 years old............................ 14,421 100.0 23.2 24.4 15.9 26.9 5.2 4.4 50 Employment status Civilian labor force............... 42,396 100.0 23.2 25.0 15.2 26.8 4.9 4.9 48 Employed......................... 40,379 100.0 23.3 25.0 15.2 26.8 4.8 4.9 48 Full time(7)................... 31,910 100.0 24.0 25.3 14.8 26.2 4.8 4.9 46 Part time(8)................... 8,469 100.0 20.9 23.7 16.5 28.8 5.1 5.0 52 Unemployed....................... 2,016 100.0 21.8 25.7 15.3 27.2 5.9 4.1 50 Not in the labor force............. 16,767 100.0 17.2 21.7 13.8 31.8 8.5 7.0 72 1 For those reporting annual hours. 2 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 3 Includes high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree. 5 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 6 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 7 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 8 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs. NOTE: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2001, through the survey period in September 2002. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Table 3. Volunteers by number of organizations for which volunteer activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2002 Percent distribution of the number of organizations for which volunteer activities were performed Total Characteristics volunteers in September 2002 (thousands) Not Five reporting Total One Two Three Four or number of more organi- zations Sex Total, both sexes.................. 59,163 100.0 69.1 19.3 7.4 2.4 1.7 0.2 Men.............................. 24,514 100.0 70.6 18.5 6.7 2.2 1.7 .2 Women............................ 34,649 100.0 68.1 19.8 7.9 2.5 1.7 .1 Age Total, 16 years and over........... 59,163 100.0 69.1 19.3 7.4 2.4 1.7 .2 16 to 24 years................... 7,860 100.0 76.9 15.5 4.9 1.2 1.0 .4 16 to 19 years................ 4,346 100.0 74.5 16.8 5.9 1.4 .8 .5 20 to 24 years................ 3,515 100.0 79.9 13.9 3.7 1.0 1.1 .4 25 years and over................ 51,303 100.0 67.9 19.8 7.7 2.5 1.8 .1 25 to 34 years................ 9,279 100.0 74.8 17.4 5.2 1.4 1.0 .2 35 to 44 years................ 15,089 100.0 64.9 22.2 8.3 2.7 1.8 - 45 to 54 years................ 12,296 100.0 65.6 20.1 8.9 3.1 2.2 .2 55 to 64 years................ 7,146 100.0 66.7 19.2 8.5 3.1 2.4 - 65 years and over............. 7,492 100.0 70.6 18.2 7.1 2.2 1.7 .2 Race and Hispanic origin White.............................. 52,164 100.0 68.0 20.0 7.7 2.5 1.8 .2 Black.............................. 4,987 100.0 77.4 14.1 5.4 1.6 1.4 .1 Hispanic origin.................... 3,769 100.0 81.1 13.7 3.3 1.0 .8 .1 Educational attainment(1) Less than a high school diploma.... 2,734 100.0 85.8 11.2 2.3 .2 .4 .1 High school graduate, no college(2) 12,293 100.0 77.2 16.5 4.5 1.2 .4 .1 Less than a bachelor's degree(3)... 14,919 100.0 70.5 18.6 6.9 2.3 1.6 .1 College graduates.................. 21,357 100.0 58.5 23.7 10.8 3.8 3.0 .2 Marital status Single, never married.............. 12,177 100.0 74.5 16.3 6.0 1.4 1.4 .4 Married, spouse present............ 37,823 100.0 67.4 20.3 7.7 2.7 1.8 .1 Other marital status(4)............ 9,163 100.0 69.3 18.9 7.6 2.4 1.8 - Presence of own children under 18 years(5) Men: No own children under 18 years old............................. 15,143 100.0 71.7 17.5 6.5 2.2 1.9 .2 With own children under 18 years old............................. 9,371 100.0 68.9 20.1 7.0 2.3 1.4 .2 Women: No own children under 18 years old............................. 20,227 100.0 70.5 18.4 7.2 2.2 1.5 .2 With own children under 18 years old............................. 14,421 100.0 64.7 21.7 8.8 2.8 1.9 .1 Employment status Civilian labor force............... 42,396 100.0 68.7 19.5 7.6 2.3 1.7 .2 Employed......................... 40,379 100.0 68.4 19.6 7.7 2.4 1.8 .2 Full time(6)................... 31,910 100.0 68.8 19.5 7.5 2.4 1.7 .1 Part time(7)................... 8,469 100.0 66.8 20.0 8.6 2.3 2.0 .3 Unemployed....................... 2,016 100.0 74.3 17.4 5.3 1.7 1.2 - Not in the labor force............. 16,767 100.0 70.3 18.7 6.7 2.5 1.7 .2 1 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 2 Includes high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree. 4 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 5 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 6 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 7 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs. NOTE: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2001, through the survey period in September 2002. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Dash represents or rounds to zero. Table 4. Volunteers by type of main organization for which volunteer activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2002 Percent distribution of volunteers by type of main organization(1) Total Civic, volun- politi- Educa- Envi- Hos- Social Sport, Characteristics teers cal, tional ron- pital Pub- or hobby, in September 2002 (thou- profes- or mental or lic Reli- commu- cul- Not sands) Total sional, youth or other safe- gious nity tural, Other deter- or ser- animal health ty ser- or mined inter- vice care vice arts nation- al Sex Total, both sexes............. 59,163 100.0 6.1 27.2 1.6 8.6 1.4 33.9 12.1 4.0 3.5 1.5 Men......................... 24,514 100.0 7.6 25.5 1.7 6.7 2.3 33.0 12.7 5.0 3.9 1.6 Women....................... 34,649 100.0 5.1 28.5 1.6 10.0 .8 34.5 11.7 3.2 3.3 1.4 Age Total, 16 years and over...... 59,163 100.0 6.1 27.2 1.6 8.6 1.4 33.9 12.1 4.0 3.5 1.5 16 to 24 years.............. 7,860 100.0 4.8 31.0 1.8 9.0 1.7 30.5 12.9 3.1 3.5 1.6 16 to 19 years........... 4,346 100.0 4.6 34.1 1.6 7.7 1.0 30.7 13.2 3.1 2.8 1.2 20 to 24 years........... 3,515 100.0 5.0 27.3 2.0 10.7 2.5 30.3 12.6 3.0 4.4 2.2 25 years and over........... 51,303 100.0 6.3 26.7 1.6 8.6 1.4 34.4 12.0 4.1 3.5 1.5 25 to 34 years........... 9,279 100.0 5.5 34.3 1.8 8.6 1.9 28.6 11.5 3.2 3.4 1.1 35 to 44 years........... 15,089 100.0 4.6 39.3 1.4 6.6 1.2 29.3 9.5 3.9 3.1 1.0 45 to 54 years........... 12,296 100.0 6.4 25.5 1.6 8.7 1.4 34.5 11.0 5.1 3.8 2.0 55 to 64 years........... 7,146 100.0 9.3 13.0 2.3 10.4 1.1 41.1 13.4 4.0 3.8 1.7 65 years and over........ 7,492 100.0 7.9 6.5 1.0 10.5 1.2 45.2 17.6 4.2 4.0 2.0 Race and Hispanic origin White......................... 52,164 100.0 6.4 27.2 1.8 8.8 1.5 32.9 12.2 4.1 3.6 1.4 Black......................... 4,987 100.0 3.5 27.4 .3 6.7 .6 45.3 10.0 1.6 2.9 1.7 Hispanic origin............... 3,769 100.0 4.2 32.9 .6 6.4 1.1 36.6 10.7 2.8 3.3 1.3 Educational attainment(2) Less than a high school diploma...................... 2,734 100.0 4.6 22.6 .3 6.4 1.2 45.8 13.4 1.6 2.8 1.3 High school graduate, no college(3)................... 12,293 100.0 6.0 25.4 1.2 8.2 1.8 36.9 11.7 3.9 3.6 1.3 Less than a bachelor's degree(4).................... 14,919 100.0 5.9 26.8 1.7 8.9 2.0 34.4 11.6 3.9 3.6 1.3 College graduates............. 21,357 100.0 7.0 27.9 1.9 8.8 .7 31.5 12.2 4.7 3.6 1.7 Marital status Single, never married......... 12,177 100.0 6.1 28.4 2.2 9.6 1.7 27.2 14.8 4.0 4.4 1.6 Married, spouse present....... 37,823 100.0 6.0 28.2 1.3 7.7 1.4 36.6 10.4 4.0 3.0 1.5 Other marital status(5)....... 9,163 100.0 6.7 21.9 2.0 11.2 1.2 31.6 15.6 3.7 4.6 1.5 Presence of own children under 18 years(6) Men: No own children under 18 years old.................. 15,143 100.0 9.0 17.8 2.2 8.0 2.4 33.4 15.5 4.9 4.9 1.9 With own children under 18 years old.................. 9,371 100.0 5.3 37.9 .9 4.5 2.1 32.5 8.1 5.2 2.2 1.3 Women: No own children under 18 years old.................. 20,227 100.0 6.5 16.1 2.2 12.8 .8 37.3 14.7 3.8 4.1 1.6 With own children under 18 years old.................. 14,421 100.0 3.1 45.9 .6 6.0 .7 30.5 7.5 2.4 2.2 1.0 Employment status Civilian labor force.......... 42,396 100.0 6.4 28.9 1.8 8.6 1.6 32.1 11.5 4.2 3.5 1.4 Employed.................... 40,379 100.0 6.4 28.8 1.7 8.6 1.7 32.2 11.5 4.2 3.5 1.4 Full time(7).............. 31,910 100.0 6.7 28.2 1.7 8.7 1.9 31.6 11.8 4.3 3.7 1.4 Part time(8).............. 8,469 100.0 5.2 31.2 1.8 8.1 .8 34.8 10.3 3.5 2.9 1.4 Unemployed.................. 2,016 100.0 5.4 31.8 2.2 8.1 .9 30.2 12.6 4.4 3.6 .8 Not in the labor force........ 16,767 100.0 5.6 23.0 1.2 8.7 .9 38.3 13.5 3.4 3.6 1.8 1 Main organization is defined as the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year. See the Technical Note for more details. 2 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 3 Includes high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree. 5 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 6 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 7 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 8 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs. NOTE: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2001, through the survey period in September 2002. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Table 5. Volunteer activities for main organization for which activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2002 Percent distribution of volunteer activities for main organization(1) Activ- Activ- Activ- Organ- ities ities ities Board ize, Total to to to com- Col- Con- super- volun- pro- sup- sup- mit-, Can- lect, Con- sult- vise, Pro- Not Characteristics teers tect port port tee vass, make, struc- ing or vide report- in September 2002 (thou- the emer- pub- or cam- serve, tion or help care ing sands) envi- gency lic neigh- paign-, or or admin- with or Teach Other type ron- pre- health bor- or deliv- main- istra- events trans- or of ment pared- or hood fund- er te- tive or porta- coach activ- or ani- ness safe- associ- raise goods nance work activ- tion ity mals or ty ation ities- relief member (2) Sex Total, both sexes........... 59,163 4.6 4.8 8.3 16.3 22.9 22.2 9.7 14.0 43.2 12.3 24.4 16.8 1.4 Men....................... 24,514 5.3 5.8 9.0 17.9 20.9 17.6 16.0 14.3 40.4 12.0 27.1 16.1 1.4 Women..................... 34,649 4.1 4.0 7.8 15.1 24.2 25.5 5.2 13.8 45.1 12.6 22.4 17.3 1.5 Age Total, 16 years and over.... 59,163 4.6 4.8 8.3 16.3 22.9 22.2 9.7 14.0 43.2 12.3 24.4 16.8 1.4 16 to 24 years............ 7,860 6.4 5.4 9.0 6.3 19.4 20.5 13.2 8.4 38.2 10.3 26.7 18.8 2.3 16 to 19 years......... 4,346 7.3 4.8 8.9 5.5 19.7 21.9 13.5 6.4 38.5 8.9 25.8 19.4 2.2 20 to 24 years......... 3,515 5.2 6.1 9.1 7.3 19.0 18.8 12.9 11.0 37.8 12.1 27.8 18.0 2.5 25 years and over......... 51,303 4.4 4.7 8.2 17.8 23.4 22.5 9.1 14.8 43.9 12.7 24.0 16.5 1.3 25 to 34 years......... 9,279 4.5 4.9 9.1 11.8 22.4 19.4 8.4 11.2 45.6 12.5 28.1 15.2 1.5 35 to 44 years......... 15,089 4.8 4.6 8.0 16.7 25.3 21.3 9.5 14.0 47.7 14.6 30.7 14.3 1.2 45 to 54 years......... 12,296 4.2 5.0 8.9 20.3 25.0 21.7 9.4 16.3 45.3 12.9 24.7 15.3 1.5 55 to 64 years......... 7,146 5.1 5.4 8.8 21.9 25.5 23.5 10.0 18.8 40.8 10.8 17.7 17.3 1.0 65 years and over...... 7,492 2.7 3.3 5.5 19.6 16.3 29.0 8.0 14.8 34.8 10.3 10.5 23.6 1.4 Race and Hispanic origin White....................... 52,164 4.9 4.8 8.3 16.6 23.2 21.9 9.8 14.0 43.3 12.0 24.4 16.8 1.3 Black....................... 4,987 2.9 4.4 8.2 15.2 21.6 26.1 8.8 13.9 42.9 15.0 25.2 17.1 2.2 Hispanic origin............. 3,769 2.8 3.3 7.3 9.1 18.9 23.3 8.8 9.4 36.3 10.4 24.3 20.2 1.7 Educational attainment(3) Less than a high school diploma.................... 2,734 1.9 3.3 5.3 8.0 14.6 30.0 12.1 7.2 32.8 9.6 12.8 21.7 1.0 High school graduate, no college(4)................. 12,293 3.9 4.2 6.9 14.2 23.2 25.3 9.7 10.0 42.2 12.3 19.2 17.1 1.2 Less than a bachelor's degree(5).................. 14,919 4.7 5.5 8.4 16.3 24.1 23.7 9.1 14.0 45.3 14.5 24.1 16.7 1.1 College graduates........... 21,357 4.8 4.5 9.1 22.2 24.1 19.1 8.5 19.2 45.4 12.0 28.2 15.4 1.5 Marital status Single, never married....... 12,177 6.2 5.0 9.5 9.1 20.9 20.0 11.7 10.7 39.0 10.3 23.8 18.6 2.1 Married, spouse present..... 37,823 4.3 4.7 7.7 18.9 23.8 22.3 9.8 14.8 45.0 13.2 26.0 15.4 1.3 Other marital status(6)..... 9,163 4.1 4.5 8.8 15.2 21.6 24.9 6.5 15.0 40.9 11.7 18.2 20.1 1.0 Presence of own children under 18 years(7) Men: No own children under 18 years old................... 15,143 5.5 5.9 9.4 17.9 20.6 18.4 16.5 15.2 38.3 10.9 20.7 18.1 1.6 With own children under 18 years old................... 9,371 5.1 5.6 8.4 17.9 21.5 16.4 15.2 12.8 44.0 13.9 37.5 13.0 1.0 Women: No own children under 18 years old................... 20,227 4.6 4.1 8.2 14.9 22.3 26.2 5.8 14.2 40.2 10.3 18.5 19.0 1.7 With own children under 18 years old................... 14,421 3.4 4.0 7.1 15.5 27.0 24.5 4.4 13.2 51.9 15.7 27.9 14.8 1.3 Employment status Civilian labor force........ 42,396 5.0 5.2 8.8 16.6 24.5 20.7 10.2 14.4 44.7 12.9 26.3 15.6 1.3 Employed.................. 40,379 4.9 5.2 8.8 16.9 24.6 20.6 10.1 14.4 44.7 12.8 26.3 15.5 1.3 Full time(8)............ 31,910 4.8 5.3 9.0 17.3 25.0 19.9 10.6 14.1 44.1 12.4 26.2 15.0 1.4 Part time(9)............ 8,469 5.0 4.8 8.1 15.6 23.0 23.4 8.2 15.3 46.6 14.5 26.8 17.3 1.2 Unemployed................ 2,016 6.7 5.1 8.8 10.9 22.9 22.7 11.5 15.2 45.1 14.3 26.4 17.5 1.2 Not in the labor force...... 16,767 3.8 3.7 6.9 15.5 18.7 26.0 8.4 12.9 39.3 11.0 19.4 19.9 1.7 1 Main organization is defined as the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year. See the Technical Note for more details. 2 This category may have been chosen by such a large proportion of respondents because of the word "help." Since all volunteers "help" in some way, it may have become a "catch-all" response. 3 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 4 Includes high school diploma or equivalent. 5 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree. 6 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 7 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 8 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 9 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs. NOTE: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2001, through the survey period in September 2002. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Detail will sum to greater than 100 percent because respondents could choose more than one activity. Table 6. Volunteers by how they became involved with main organization for which volunteer activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2002 Percent distribution of how volunteers became involved with main organization(1) Total Was asked by: Characteristics volun- Not in September 2002 teers Approach- report- (thou- ed the Rela- Someone ing how sands) Total organi- Boss or tive, in the Other became (2) zation Total employ- friend, organi- Some- involved er or zation/ one co-work- school else er Sex Total, both sexes............. 59,163 100.0 40.1 43.0 1.5 14.1 25.8 1.4 14.9 2.1 Men......................... 24,514 100.0 39.3 43.8 1.5 15.2 25.5 1.3 14.8 2.0 Women....................... 34,649 100.0 40.6 42.3 1.4 13.4 26.0 1.4 14.9 2.2 Age Total, 16 years and over...... 59,163 100.0 40.1 43.0 1.5 14.1 25.8 1.4 14.9 2.1 16 to 24 years.............. 7,860 100.0 40.7 40.2 .9 16.1 20.8 2.1 16.2 2.9 16 to 19 years........... 4,346 100.0 40.6 39.6 .2 14.9 21.8 2.5 16.7 3.1 20 to 24 years........... 3,515 100.0 40.9 40.8 1.9 17.7 19.6 1.6 15.6 2.7 25 years and over........... 51,303 100.0 40.0 43.4 1.6 13.8 26.6 1.3 14.7 2.0 25 to 34 years........... 9,279 100.0 38.1 44.1 3.0 14.6 25.0 1.4 15.6 2.2 35 to 44 years........... 15,089 100.0 39.8 44.0 1.6 13.1 27.9 1.2 14.4 1.8 45 to 54 years........... 12,296 100.0 39.7 43.7 1.4 13.7 27.1 1.2 14.7 2.0 55 to 64 years........... 7,146 100.0 40.6 43.3 1.2 14.7 26.0 1.1 14.2 1.9 65 years and over........ 7,492 100.0 42.6 40.8 .3 13.5 25.5 1.5 14.4 2.1 Race and Hispanic origin White......................... 52,164 100.0 40.0 43.3 1.5 14.2 26.0 1.3 14.7 2.0 Black......................... 4,987 100.0 40.5 42.1 1.3 13.6 25.1 2.0 14.7 2.8 Hispanic origin............... 3,769 100.0 40.4 40.9 1.8 12.9 24.5 1.5 16.4 2.3 Educational attainment(3) Less than a high school diploma...................... 2,734 100.0 39.2 45.2 .6 15.1 27.6 1.7 13.7 1.9 High school graduate, no college(4)................... 12,293 100.0 40.3 43.4 1.2 14.7 26.1 1.2 14.6 1.8 Less than a bachelor's degree(5).................... 14,919 100.0 39.4 43.1 1.8 13.8 26.1 1.3 15.8 1.6 College graduates............. 21,357 100.0 40.3 43.3 1.7 13.1 27.0 1.2 14.0 2.3 Marital status Single, never married......... 12,177 100.0 41.5 39.9 1.6 16.2 20.1 1.9 15.6 3.0 Married, spouse present....... 37,823 100.0 39.4 44.3 1.4 13.3 28.0 1.3 14.4 1.9 Other marital status(6)....... 9,163 100.0 41.0 41.6 1.4 14.5 24.3 1.2 15.8 1.6 Presence of own children under 18 years(7) Men: No own children under 18 years old.................. 15,143 100.0 40.0 42.9 1.4 15.8 24.0 1.5 14.9 2.2 With own children under 18 years old.................. 9,371 100.0 38.2 45.3 1.7 14.2 28.0 1.1 14.8 1.7 Women: No own children under 18 years old.................. 20,227 100.0 41.4 40.8 1.4 15.1 22.6 1.5 15.3 2.4 With own children under 18 years old.................. 14,421 100.0 39.5 44.5 1.5 10.9 30.8 1.3 14.2 1.8 Employment status Civilian labor force.......... 42,396 100.0 39.2 43.7 1.9 14.5 25.7 1.4 15.1 2.0 Employed.................... 40,379 100.0 39.0 43.9 2.0 14.5 25.9 1.3 15.2 2.0 Full time(8).............. 31,910 100.0 38.3 44.6 2.3 15.1 25.9 1.2 15.2 1.9 Part time(9).............. 8,469 100.0 41.6 41.0 .8 12.3 26.1 1.6 15.1 2.3 Unemployed.................. 2,016 100.0 43.3 40.7 1.6 15.0 21.6 2.3 14.3 1.7 Not in the labor force........ 16,767 100.0 42.4 41.1 .3 13.1 26.1 1.4 14.2 2.4 1 Main organization is defined as the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year. See the Technical Note for more details. 2 Includes persons who did not specify who asked them to volunteer, not shown separately. 3 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 4 Includes high school diploma or equivalent. 5 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree. 6 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 7 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 8 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 9 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs. NOTE: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point from September 1, 2001, through the survey period in September 2002. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups.