February 23, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Volunteer rate rises in 2011

Number of volunteers and volunteer rates, September 2007–September 2011
Year ending	Total (percent of population)	Men (percent of population)	Women (percent of population)	Total number of volunteers
September 2007	26.2	22.9	29.3	60,838,000
September 2008	26.4	23.2	29.4	61,803,000
September 2009	26.8	23.3	30.1	63,361,000
September 2010	26.3	23.2	29.3	62,790,000
September 2011	26.8	23.5	29.9	64,252,000

These data are featured in the TED article, Volunteer rate rises in 2011.

Volunteeer rates by selected characteristics, year ending September 2011
Characteristics	Percent of population
Employment status
Employed (part time)	33.3
Employed (full time)	28.7
Not in labor force	23.8
Unemployed	22.5
Educational attainment
Less than a high school diploma	9.8
High school graduates, no college	18.2
Some college or associate degree	29.5
Bachelor's degree and higher	42.4
Marital status
Single, never married	20.9
Married, spouse present	32.3
Divorced, separated and widowed	21.5
Age
16 to 24 years	22.5
25 to 34 years	23.3
35 to 44 years	31.8
45 to 54 years	30.6
55 to 64 years	28.1
65 years and over	24.0
Race and Hispanic or latino ethnicity
White	28.2
Black or African American	20.3
Asian	20.0
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity	14.9

These data are featured in the TED article, Volunteer rate rises in 2011.

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