Produced and published at US taxpayer expense.

Spotlighting the CEV Series: 

Work and Civic Life

About the Series 

Spotlight the CEV Series 

explores important findings 

from the Civic Engagement and 

Volunteering (CEV) 

Supplement of the Current 

Population Survey. Conducted 

by the U.S. Census Bureau in 

partnership with AmeriCorps, 

the CEV is a nationally 

representative, valuable 

resource for understanding 

various types of civic 

engagement over time. It has 

been administered biennially 

since 2017 with related 

datasets going as far back as 

2002. CEV data can support 

actionable insights and data 

driven decision making. 

This series will explore six key 

constructs from the 2021 CEV 

Organizational Engagement, 

Informal Helping and 

Conversation, Local Collective 

Action, Engaging with Issues, 

Economic Engagement, and 

Political Engagement.

The professional sphere is an increasingly important arena for civic 

engagement. 

Historically, the primary purpose of work was to make a living. Yet 

over time, many workers have also come to view their jobs as outlets 

to pursue passions, express values, and make positive changes in 

society.

1 As individuals’ professional and civic lives become more 

interconnected, it becomes increasingly important to have data that 

sheds light on this changing relationship. 

1 Points of Life. “Work.” Civic Life Today, Issue 6, June 2021. Available at: https://www.pointsoflight.org/civic-life-today-work/

Since 2008, AmeriCorps-sponsored Current Population Survey 

supplements have examined civic engagement in the economic 

arena through measures of values-based consumer behaviors. In 

2021, AmeriCorps introduced additional questions adapted from 

the General Social Survey about employed Americans’ attitudes 

toward the relationship between work and civic life. These new 

questions capture views about whether one’s workplace or work 

contribute to the community and whether one’s work is a source of 

pride or satisfaction. 

As part of the “Spotlighting the CEV” series, this key findings brief 

explores national trends related to the relationship between work 

and civic life in 2021. 

Over one-third of employed Americans report working for an 

employer that encourages civic engagement. 

An estimated 36 percent of employed Americans, or 51.2

million people, say their workplace encouraged volunteering or 

charitable giving in 2021. 

Source for figures: Analysis conducted by the Office of Research and Evaluation, AmeriCorps, 

Civic Engagement and Volunteering (2021) Supplement data, U.S. Census Bureau. 

Among Americans who work for an employer that encourages civic 

engagement, 42 percent actually do volunteer and 69 percent give 

to charity. 
The vast majority of employed Americans say their workplace and work contribute to the community, 

but less than half say their main satisfaction in life comes from work. 

An estimated 82 percent of employed Americans report that they contribute to the community through 

their work, and 89 percent say their workplace contributes to the larger community. Nearly all 

employed Americans (95 percent) report they are proud to work for their employer. Only 43 percent of 

employed Americans agree or strongly agree that their main satisfaction in life comes from their work.

Explore the Data

The CEV data is available for public use. Visit the AmeriCorps Open Data portal at 

https://data.americorps.gov. For more information about the CEV data and findings, please reach out to 

the AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation at AmeriCorpsCEV@cns.gov. 

What’s Next?

The AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation and its partners are exploring the CEV data’s 

implications for AmeriCorps programming and civic engagement in America more broadly. Ongoing 

research is digging deeper into understanding how perceptions of the relationship between work and 

civic life differ by individuals’ demographic, occupational, geographic, and other characteristics. 

About the Office of Research and Evaluation

The AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation assists AmeriCorps and its partners in collecting, 

analyzing, and disseminating data and insights about AmeriCorps programs and civic life in America.

About AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for 

Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve 

lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 

200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and 

empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at 

AmeriCorps.gov.

Produced and published at US taxpayer expense.