Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 USDL 09-0078 

 http://www.bls.gov/cps/ 

 For release: 10:00 A.M. (EST) 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Friday, January 23, 2009 

VOLUNTEERING IN THE UNITED STATES, 2008 

About 61.8 million people, or 26.4 percent of the population, volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2007 and September 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the 

U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Both the level and rate of volunteering were essentially 

unchanged from the prior year. 

These data on volunteering were collected through a supplement to the September 2008 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 of men, 23.2 percent, and women, 29.4 percent, were about the same in the year 

ending September 2008 as in the prior year. Women volunteered at a higher rate than did men across all 

age groups, educational levels, and other major demographic characteristics, as in previous years. (See 

tables A and 1.) 

Persons age 35 to 44 continued to be the most likely to volunteer (31.3 percent), while persons in 

their early twenties were the least likely (18.6 percent). The only age group with a significant change 

over the year was 16- to 19-year-olds. The volunteer rate of this group rose 1.4 percentage points in the 

year ending September 2008, essentially offsetting the 1.9 percentage point decrease that occurred in the 

prior year. 

In the year that ended in September 2008, whites continued to volunteer at a higher rate (27.9 

percent) than did blacks (19.1 percent) and Asians (18.7 percent). The rate for each of these groups was 

either unchanged or essentially unchanged from the prior year. Among Hispanics or Latinos, 14.4 

percent volunteered in 2008, up from 13.5 percent in the year ending September 2007. 

Married persons volunteered at a higher rate (31.6 percent) than those who had never married (20.4 

percent) and those with other marital statuses (20.9 percent). Parents with children under age 18 were 

substantially more likely to volunteer than were persons without children, 33.8 percent compared with 

23.5 percent. 

News United States 

Department 

of Labor 
2

Table A. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2004 through September 2008

(Numbers in thousands)

 Sex

Total, both sexes ............................................... 64,542 28.8 65,357 28.8 61,199 26.7 60,838 26.2 61,803 26.4

 Men ................................................................. 27,011 25.0 27,370 25.0 25,546 23.0 25,724 22.9 26,268 23.2

 Women ........................................................... 37,530 32.4 37,987 32.4 35,653 30.1 35,114 29.3 35,535 29.4

Age

Total, 16 years and over ............................... 64,542 28.8 65,357 28.8 61,199 26.7 60,838 26.2 61,803 26.4

 16 to 24 years ................................................. 8,821 24.2 8,955 24.4 8,044 21.7 7,798 20.8 8,239 21.9

 25 to 34 years ................................................. 10,046 25.8 9,881 25.3 9,096 23.1 9,019 22.6 9,154 22.8

 35 to 44 years ................................................. 14,783 34.2 14,809 34.5 13,308 31.2 12,902 30.5 13,016 31.3

 45 to 54 years ................................................. 13,584 32.8 13,826 32.7 13,415 31.2 13,136 30.1 13,189 29.9

 55 to 64 years ................................................. 8,784 30.1 9,173 30.2 8,819 27.9 9,316 28.4 9,456 28.1

 65 years and over ........................................... 8,524 24.6 8,712 24.8 8,518 23.8 8,667 23.8 8,749 23.5

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ................................................................ 55,892 30.5 56,170 30.4 52,850 28.3 52,586 27.9 53,078 27.9

Black or African American ................................ 5,435 20.8 5,879 22.1 5,211 19.2 5,010 18.2 5,325 19.1

Asian ................................................................. 1,832 19.3 2,055 20.7 1,881 18.5 1,887 17.7 2,022 18.7

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ................................ 4,102 14.5 4,511 15.4 4,212 13.9 4,279 13.5 4,662 14.4

Educational attainment 1

Less than a high school diploma ....................... 2,718 9.6 2,837 10.0 2,615 9.3 2,394 9.0 2,427 9.4

High school graduates, no college 2

 .................. 12,709 21.6 12,594 21.2 11,537 19.2 11,379 18.6 10,998 19.1

Some college or associate degree .................... 16,414 34.2 16,452 33.7 15,196 30.9 15,468 30.7 15,519 30.0

Bachelor's degree and higher 3 .......................... 23,880 45.7 24,517 45.8 23,808 43.3 23,799 41.8 24,620 42.2

Employment status

Civilian labor force ............................................. 45,896 30.9 46,872 31.1 43,579 28.5 43,405 28.1 44,313 28.5

 Employed ........................................................ 43,886 31.2 44,894 31.3 41,861 28.7 41,708 28.3 42,131 28.9

 Full time 4 ...................................................... 34,237 29.6 35,225 29.8 32,951 27.3 32,714 26.9 33,344 27.8

 Part time 5 ..................................................... 9,649 38.5 9,669 38.2 8,910 35.5 8,994 35.4 8,788 34.2

 Unemployed.................................................... 2,010 25.6 1,978 26.4 1,718 23.8 1,697 23.2 2,181 22.3

Not in the labor force.......................................... 18,646 24.7 18,485 24.4 17,621 23.1 17,433 22.3 17,491 22.2

 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 futher information. 

Characteristic

September 2004

Number Percent of 

population

September 2005

Number Percent of 

population

September 2007

Number Percent of 

population

September 2008

Number Percent of 

population

September 2006

Number Percent of 

population
3

Individuals with higher levels of educational attainment volunteered at higher rates than did those 

with less education. Among persons age 25 and over, 42.2 percent of college graduates volunteered, 

compared with 18.1 percent of high school graduates and 9.4 percent of those with less than a high 

school diploma. 

Among employed persons, 28.9 percent volunteered during the year ending in September 2008. By 

comparison, 22.3 percent of unemployed persons and 22.2 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—34.2 versus 27.8 percent. 

Total Annual Hours Spent Volunteering

Volunteers of both sexes spent a median of 52 hours on volunteer activities during the period from 

September 2007 to September 2008. Median annual hours spent on volunteer activities ranged from a 

high of 96 hours for volunteers age 65 and over to a low of 40 hours for those 16 to 19 or 25 to 34 years 

old. The 20- to 24-year-old group showed the largest over-the-year change in median hours volunteered, increasing by 7 hours to a median of 48 hours. (See table 2.) 

Number and Type of Organizations

Most volunteers were involved with either one or two organizations—69.6 and 19.3 percent, 

respectively. Individuals with higher educational attainment were more likely to volunteer for multiple 

organizations than were those with less education. Parents also were somewhat more likely to volunteer 

for more than one organization than were persons without children under 18. (See table 3.) 

In 2008, the main organization—the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours 

during the year—was most frequently religious (35.1 percent of all volunteers), followed by educational 

or youth service related (26.0 percent). Another 13.5 percent of volunteers performed activities mainly 

for social or community service organizations. (See table 4.) 

Older volunteers were more likely to volunteer mainly for religious organizations than were their 

younger counterparts. For example, 46.7 percent of volunteers age 65 and over did their service mainly 

through or for a religious organization, compared with 30.8 percent of volunteers age 16 to 24. 

The types of main organization for which individuals volunteered also varied by educational attainment. Volunteering mainly for religious organizations decreased as educational attainment increased, 

from 47.0 percent of volunteers with less than a high school diploma to 32.1 percent of those with a 

bachelor's degree and higher. Volunteering primarily for educational or youth service organizations 

increased with educational attainment. Of volunteers with less than a high school diploma, 21.9 percent 

volunteered mainly for this type of organization, compared with 27.8 percent of those with a bachelor's 

degree and higher. 

Among volunteers with children under 18 years old, 45.8 percent of mothers and 40.6 percent of 

fathers volunteered mainly for an educational or youth service organization, such as a school or scouting 

group. Volunteers without children under 18 were considerably more likely than parents to volunteer 

for other types of organizations, such as hospitals or other health organizations and social or community 

service organizations. 
4

Main Volunteer Activity for Main Organization

The main activity volunteers performed for their main organization was most frequently fundraising 

(11.4 percent) and tutoring or teaching (10.1 percent). Men and women tended to engage in different 

main activities. Men who volunteered were most likely to engage in general labor (12.6 percent); coach, 

referee, or supervise sports teams (10.3 percent); or provide professional or management assistance 

(10.1 percent). Female volunteers were most likely to fundraise (12.8 percent); tutor or teach (12.0 

percent); or collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food (10.7 percent). (See table 5.) 

Educational attainment influenced the types of activities volunteers performed. College graduates 

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, prepare, distribute, or serve food; engage in general 

labor; or be an usher, greeter, or minister. 

Parents were considerably more likely than those without children to engage in some types of 

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 43.7 percent of volunteers became involved with their main organization after being asked to 

volunteer, most often by someone in the organization. A slightly smaller proportion, 40.8 percent, 

became involved on their own initiative; that is, they approached the organization. (See table 6.) 
Technical Note 

The data in this release were collected through a 

supplement to the September 2008 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 information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the 

data. 

For a full discussion of the reliability of CPS data and 

for information on estimating standard errors, see the Household Data Section of the "Explanatory Notes and Estimates of 

Error" at http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf. 

The Census Bureau introduces adjustments to the population controls for the CPS as part of its annual update of 

population estimates. The 2003 adjustment resulted in an 

increase to the estimates for all population categories. This 

increase was partly offset by downward adjustments in 2004, 

2005, 2006, and 2008. The 2007 adjustment was in the upward direction. Consequently, estimated levels of volunteers 

for September 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 are 

not strictly comparable with one another, or with estimated 

levels for September 2002. These adjustments to the levels, 

however, should have had only negligible effects on the 

volunteer rates. In addition to the population control adjustments, new questions on race and ethnicity were introduced 

into the CPS in January 2003. For a discussion of the 

changes introduced into the CPS in January 2003, see 

"Revisions to the Current Population Survey Effective in 

January 2003," in the February 2003 issue of Employment 

and Earnings, at http://www.bls.gov/cps/rvcps03.pdf. For a 

discussion of the changes introduced in January 2004, see 

"Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in 

January 2004," in the February 2004 issue of Employment 

and Earnings, at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps04adj.pdf. For a 

discussion of the changes introduced in January 2005, see 

"Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in 

January 2005," in the February 2005 issue of Employment 

and Earnings, at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps05adj.pdf. For a 

discussion of the changes introduced in January 2006, see 

"Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in 

January 2006," in the February 2006 issue of Employment 

and Earnings, at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps06adj.pdf. For a 

discussion of the changes introduced in January 2007, see 

"Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in 

January 2007," in the February 2007 issue of Employment 

and Earnings, at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps07adj.pdf. For a 

discussion of the changes introduced in January 2008, see 

"Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in 

January 2008," in the February 2008 issue of Employment 

and Earnings Online, available on the BLS Web site at 

http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps08adj.pdf. 

Volunteer questions and concepts 

In the September 2008 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 

household answers all the questions in the CPS on behalf of 

the entire household.) 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 68.2 percent 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 organizations 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. This is the same 

method of identifying volunteers as was used in each of the 

six prior supplements. 
Respondents 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, the type of activities they performed for the 

main organization, and what their main activity was. 

The reference period for the questions on volunteering 

was about 1 year, from September 1, 2007, through the survey week in September 2008. The reference period for other 

characteristics—such as labor force status, educational attainment, and marital status—refer to the survey reference week 

in September 2008. It is possible that these characteristics 

were different at the time volunteer activities were performed. 

One new question was added to the 2008 survey to 

determine whether or not respondents had donated money, 

assets, or property with a combined value of more than $25 to 

charitable or religious organizations in the past 12 months. 

Two questions asked in the 2007 supplement were removed 

in 2008. These questions asked how often respondents who 

had attended public meetings or who had worked with others 

in their neighborhood to fix a problem did so. 

Definitions 

Volunteers are persons who performed unpaid volunteer 

activities at any point from September 1, 2007, through the 

survey period in September 2008. 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 taught acting to children through a local theater would 

be considered a volunteer. However, a woman who, on her 

own, organized 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 grouped into eight 

major categories, including religious, youth, and social or 

community service organizations. (See table 4.) 

In the 2005 survey, one organization category, 

immigrant/refugee assistance, was added to the questionnaire 

as a possible response. Responses that were collected in this 

category may have been distributed over at least six of the 

major organization categories in previous years. For this 

reason, the addition of the new response category created a 

break in the comparability of organizations between 2005 and 

prior years. Because few people reported volunteering for 

immigrant/refugee assistance organizations and because the 

group was not a definite subset of any of the major 

organization categories, those persons who did report that 

they volunteered for immigrant/refugee assistance organizations were placed in the "other" group. 

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 provided information about the organization and, 

for those who volunteered for more than one organization, 

annual hours worked for each. Some respondents did not 

provide the information necessary to determine the 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. 

Activities are the specific tasks the volunteer did for an 

organization. Examples include tutoring, fundraising, and 

serving food. The activity categories were modified in 2005, 

thus creating a break in the comparability of activities between 2005 and prior years. 

In 2006, a new question was added that asked respondents on which of the activities they mentioned they spent the 

most time. Previously, respondents reported all of the 

activities they did for their main organization. The new question identified which of them was the main activity for the 

main organization. 
Table 1. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2008

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics in September 2008

Total, both sexes Men Women

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Volunteers Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Volunteers Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Volunteers

Number Percent of

population Number Percent ofpopulation Number Percent ofpopulation

Age

Total, 16 years and over ........................... 234,360 61,803 26.4 113,414 26,268 23.2 120,946 35,535 29.4

 16 to 24 years ......................................... 37,547 8,239 21.9 18,938 3,747 19.8 18,609 4,493 24.1

 16 to 19 years ...................................... 17,101 4,437 25.9 8,673 2,074 23.9 8,428 2,364 28.0

 20 to 24 years ...................................... 20,446 3,802 18.6 10,265 1,673 16.3 10,181 2,129 20.9

 25 years and over ................................... 196,813 53,564 27.2 94,476 22,521 23.8 102,337 31,043 30.3

 25 to 34 years ...................................... 40,131 9,154 22.8 20,080 3,689 18.4 20,051 5,465 27.3

 35 to 44 years ...................................... 41,576 13,016 31.3 20,512 5,397 26.3 21,064 7,619 36.2

 45 to 54 years ...................................... 44,104 13,189 29.9 21,597 5,682 26.3 22,507 7,507 33.4

 55 to 64 years ...................................... 33,696 9,456 28.1 16,222 4,196 25.9 17,474 5,260 30.1

 65 years and over ................................ 37,306 8,749 23.5 16,065 3,558 22.1 21,241 5,191 24.4

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ........................................................ 189,916 53,078 27.9 92,930 22,756 24.5 96,986 30,322 31.3

Black or African American ........................ 27,939 5,325 19.1 12,564 2,065 16.4 15,376 3,260 21.2

Asian ......................................................... 10,826 2,022 18.7 5,138 881 17.1 5,688 1,141 20.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ....................... 32,369 4,662 14.4 16,645 1,936 11.6 15,724 2,726 17.3

Educational attainment 1

Less than a high school diploma .............. 25,879 2,427 9.4 12,787 954 7.5 13,092 1,473 11.3

High school graduates, no college 2 ......... 60,719 10,998 18.1 29,272 4,510 15.4 31,448 6,489 20.6

Some college or associate degree .......... 51,812 15,519 30.0 23,521 5,978 25.4 28,290 9,541 33.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 ................ 58,403 24,620 42.2 28,896 11,080 38.3 29,507 13,539 45.9

Marital status

Single, never married ............................... 66,079 13,475 20.4 35,308 6,080 17.2 30,770 7,394 24.0

Married, spouse present ........................... 122,784 38,827 31.6 61,944 17,474 28.2 60,840 21,352 35.1

Other marital status 4 ................................ 45,497 9,502 20.9 16,162 2,714 16.8 29,336 6,788 23.1

Presence of own children

under 18 years 5

Without own children under 18 ................. 168,293 39,485 23.5 84,432 17,377 20.6 83,861 22,108 26.4

With own children under 18 ...................... 66,067 22,318 33.8 28,982 8,891 30.7 37,085 13,427 36.2

Employment status

Civilian labor force .................................... 155,512 44,313 28.5 82,922 20,589 24.8 72,589 23,723 32.7

 Employed ................................................ 145,737 42,131 28.9 77,460 19,661 25.4 68,277 22,470 32.9

 Full time 6 ............................................. 120,063 33,344 27.8 68,604 17,377 25.3 51,458 15,966 31.0

 Part time 7 ............................................. 25,674 8,788 34.2 8,856 2,284 25.8 16,818 6,504 38.7

 Unemployed ........................................... 9,775 2,181 22.3 5,462 928 17.0 4,313 1,253 29.0

Not in the labor force ................................ 78,848 17,491 22.2 30,492 5,679 18.6 48,357 11,812 24.4

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, professional, and doctoral degrees. 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, 2007, through the

survey period in September 2008. 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.
Table 2. Volunteers by annual hours of volunteer activities and selected characteristics, September 2008

Characteristics in September 2008

Total

volunteers

(thousands)

Percent distribution of total annual hours spent volunteering at all

organizations

Median

annual

hours 1

Total 1 to 14

hour(s)

15 to 49

hours

50 to 99

hours

100 to

499 hours

500 hours

and over

Not

reporting

annual

hours

Sex

Total, both sexes ...................................... 61,803 100.0 19.8 25.5 15.5 28.9 5.4 4.7 52

 Men ........................................................ 26,268 100.0 19.1 25.9 15.2 29.1 5.9 4.8 52

 Women .................................................. 35,535 100.0 20.4 25.3 15.8 28.8 5.1 4.7 52

Age

Total, 16 years and over ........................... 61,803 100.0 19.8 25.5 15.5 28.9 5.4 4.7 52

 16 to 24 years ......................................... 8,239 100.0 21.9 28.2 14.7 24.1 4.9 6.1 42

 16 to 19 years ...................................... 4,437 100.0 22.1 31.5 16.5 21.8 4.0 4.1 40

 20 to 24 years ...................................... 3,802 100.0 21.8 24.5 12.6 26.8 6.0 8.4 48

 25 years and over ................................... 53,564 100.0 19.5 25.1 15.7 29.7 5.5 4.5 52

 25 to 34 years ...................................... 9,154 100.0 25.5 27.0 13.9 24.0 4.0 5.6 40

 35 to 44 years ...................................... 13,016 100.0 21.6 26.7 16.5 27.0 4.1 4.1 48

 45 to 54 years ...................................... 13,189 100.0 18.8 25.8 16.4 29.5 5.3 4.2 52

 55 to 64 years ...................................... 9,456 100.0 17.8 24.9 15.9 30.8 6.4 4.3 58

 65 years and over ................................ 8,749 100.0 13.1 19.9 15.0 38.5 8.6 4.9 96

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ........................................................ 53,078 100.0 19.9 25.7 15.8 28.7 5.4 4.5 52

Black or African American ........................ 5,325 100.0 18.8 22.1 13.7 31.8 7.2 6.5 60

Asian ......................................................... 2,022 100.0 21.8 30.1 11.5 28.0 2.9 5.7 40

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ....................... 4,662 100.0 23.7 26.3 14.5 23.7 5.3 6.5 40

Educational attainment 2

Less than a high school diploma .............. 2,427 100.0 22.4 25.1 14.9 25.1 6.7 5.8 48

High school graduates, no college 3 ......... 10,998 100.0 21.0 24.0 15.5 27.6 6.0 5.8 52

Some college or associate degree .......... 15,519 100.0 20.7 25.0 15.1 29.6 5.3 4.3 52

Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 ................ 24,620 100.0 17.8 25.7 16.2 31.0 5.3 4.0 60

Marital status

Single, never married ............................... 13,475 100.0 22.3 28.4 14.4 23.8 4.9 6.2 40

Married, spouse present ........................... 38,827 100.0 18.9 24.7 16.1 30.6 5.5 4.2 56

Other marital status 5 ................................ 9,502 100.0 20.2 24.7 15.0 29.4 5.9 4.9 52

Presence of own children

 under 18 years 6

Men:

 No own children under 18 years old ....... 17,377 100.0 18.4 26.1 14.4 29.1 6.4 5.6 52

 With own children under 18 years old .... 8,891 100.0 20.6 25.4 16.7 29.1 4.8 3.3 52

Women:

 No own children under 18 years old ....... 22,108 100.0 19.2 24.8 15.2 29.8 5.8 5.2 52

 With own children under 18 years old .... 13,427 100.0 22.3 26.1 16.8 27.2 3.9 3.8 48

Employment status

Civilian labor force .................................... 44,313 100.0 21.1 26.7 15.7 27.2 4.7 4.7 48

 Employed ................................................ 42,131 100.0 21.2 26.5 15.9 27.3 4.5 4.7 48

 Full time 7 ............................................. 33,344 100.0 21.6 26.7 15.6 26.9 4.3 4.9 48

 Part time 8 ............................................. 8,788 100.0 19.9 25.7 16.7 28.9 5.3 3.6 52

 Unemployed ........................................... 2,181 100.0 19.4 29.2 12.9 25.5 8.2 4.8 48

Not in the labor force ................................ 17,491 100.0 16.6 22.7 15.1 33.2 7.4 5.0 70

1 For those reporting annual hours. 2 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. 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, 2007, through the

survey period in September 2008. 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. 
Table 3. Volunteers by number of organizations for which volunteer activities were performed and selected

characteristics, September 2008

Characteristics in September 2008

Total

volunteers

(thousands)

Percent distribution of the number of organizations for which

volunteer activities were performed

Total One Two Three Four

Five

or

more

Not reporting

number of

organizations

Sex

Total, both sexes .................................................................................... 61,803 100.0 69.6 19.3 7.0 2.4 1.4 0.3

 Men ..................................................................................................... 26,268 100.0 71.5 18.3 6.4 2.2 1.2 .4

 Women ................................................................................................ 35,535 100.0 68.2 20.0 7.5 2.5 1.5 .3

Age

Total, 16 years and over ........................................................................ 61,803 100.0 69.6 19.3 7.0 2.4 1.4 .3

 16 to 24 years ...................................................................................... 8,239 100.0 74.2 17.1 5.7 1.9 .6 .5

 16 to 19 years ................................................................................... 4,437 100.0 72.0 18.4 6.0 2.3 1.0 .2

 20 to 24 years ................................................................................... 3,802 100.0 76.9 15.7 5.2 1.3 .1 .8

 25 years and over ................................................................................ 53,564 100.0 68.9 19.6 7.3 2.4 1.5 .3

 25 to 34 years ................................................................................... 9,154 100.0 75.7 16.8 4.7 1.6 .7 .4

 35 to 44 years ................................................................................... 13,016 100.0 68.0 20.0 8.1 2.3 1.3 .2

 45 to 54 years ................................................................................... 13,189 100.0 66.3 20.9 7.8 3.0 1.7 .3

 55 to 64 years ................................................................................... 9,456 100.0 66.8 20.3 7.9 2.6 2.0 .3

 65 years and over ............................................................................. 8,749 100.0 69.3 19.2 7.1 2.5 1.6 .3

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ...................................................................................................... 53,078 100.0 68.2 20.0 7.5 2.5 1.4 .3

Black or African American ...................................................................... 5,325 100.0 78.5 14.3 4.5 1.0 1.0 .6

Asian ...................................................................................................... 2,022 100.0 79.4 14.0 3.7 1.4 .9 .5

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity .................................................................... 4,662 100.0 81.5 12.6 3.9 1.1 .4 .4

Educational attainment 1

Less than a high school diploma ............................................................ 2,427 100.0 87.8 8.4 2.5 .6 .2 .6

High school graduates, no college 2 ...................................................... 10,998 100.0 78.7 15.2 4.0 1.1 .7 .3

Some college or associate degree ........................................................ 15,519 100.0 70.5 19.8 6.4 2.0 1.1 .3

Bachelor’s degree and higher 3 ............................................................. 24,620 100.0 61.7 22.6 9.7 3.5 2.2 .3

Marital status

Single, never married ............................................................................. 13,475 100.0 72.8 18.0 5.9 1.9 .8 .6

Married, spouse present ........................................................................ 38,827 100.0 68.2 20.0 7.4 2.5 1.7 .3

Other marital status 4 ............................................................................. 9,502 100.0 70.9 18.2 7.2 2.5 1.0 .2

Presence of own children under 18 years 5

Men:

 No own children under 18 years old .................................................... 17,377 100.0 72.5 17.5 6.2 2.2 1.2 .5

 With own children under 18 years old .................................................. 8,891 100.0 69.6 20.0 6.7 2.1 1.4 .3

Women:

 No own children under 18 years old .................................................... 22,108 100.0 69.3 19.5 7.1 2.3 1.5 .4

 With own children under 18 years old .................................................. 13,427 100.0 66.5 20.8 8.3 2.8 1.4 .2

Employment status

Civilian labor force ................................................................................. 44,313 100.0 69.1 19.7 7.2 2.3 1.3 .4

 Employed ............................................................................................. 42,131 100.0 68.8 19.8 7.3 2.4 1.3 .4

 Full time 6 ........................................................................................... 33,344 100.0 69.3 19.6 7.1 2.3 1.3 .4

 Part time 7 .......................................................................................... 8,788 100.0 66.9 20.6 8.1 2.9 1.4 .2

 Unemployed ......................................................................................... 2,181 100.0 74.1 17.5 5.6 1.6 1.2 –

Not in the labor force .............................................................................. 17,491 100.0 71.0 18.3 6.5 2.4 1.5 .2

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, professional, and doctoral degrees. 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, 2007, through the

survey period in September 2008. 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. Dash represents or rounds to zero.
Table 4. Volunteers by type of main organization for which volunteer activities were performed and selected

characteristics, September 2008

Characteristics in September 2008

Total

volunteers

(thousands)

Percent distribution of volunteers by type of main organization 1

Total

Civic, political,

professional,

or international

Educational or

youth

service

Environmental or

animal

care

Hospital

or other

health

Public

safety Religious

Social or

community

service

Sport,

hobby,

cultural,

or arts

Other Not determined

Sex

Total, both sexes .................................. 61,803 100.0 5.5 26.0 2.0 8.2 1.3 35.1 13.5 3.3 3.3 1.9

 Men ............................................... 26,268 100.0 6.8 24.8 2.0 6.4 2.1 34.6 13.7 3.8 3.7 1.9

 Women ........................................... 35,535 100.0 4.4 27.0 2.0 9.5 .6 35.5 13.4 2.8 3.0 1.8

Age

Total, 16 years and over ......................... 61,803 100.0 5.5 26.0 2.0 8.2 1.3 35.1 13.5 3.3 3.3 1.9

 16 to 24 years .................................... 8,239 100.0 4.7 27.7 3.0 8.8 1.6 30.8 13.9 3.2 3.6 2.7

 16 to 19 years ................................. 4,437 100.0 4.1 31.3 3.1 7.0 1.6 30.8 13.6 3.2 3.4 1.9

 20 to 24 years ................................. 3,802 100.0 5.3 23.5 2.8 10.9 1.7 30.8 14.2 3.2 3.9 3.6

 25 years and over ............................... 53,564 100.0 5.6 25.8 1.8 8.1 1.2 35.8 13.5 3.3 3.2 1.7

 25 to 34 years ................................. 9,154 100.0 5.0 32.4 2.1 8.1 1.4 28.9 13.1 3.3 3.1 2.6

 35 to 44 years ................................. 13,016 100.0 4.3 41.3 1.4 5.7 1.4 28.7 10.5 2.7 2.6 1.4

 45 to 54 years ................................. 13,189 100.0 5.0 26.8 1.9 7.8 1.0 36.6 13.2 3.1 3.0 1.7

 55 to 64 years ................................. 9,456 100.0 7.6 13.7 2.3 9.7 1.2 41.2 15.2 3.7 3.6 1.7

 65 years and over ............................. 8,749 100.0 6.8 7.4 1.5 10.3 1.0 46.7 16.7 3.9 4.3 1.4

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ............................................... 53,078 100.0 5.6 26.1 2.2 8.5 1.4 33.9 13.8 3.4 3.4 1.7

Black or African American ....................... 5,325 100.0 4.3 22.9 .3 6.3 .2 46.5 12.7 1.5 2.6 2.7

Asian ............................................... 2,022 100.0 4.5 31.6 .6 6.4 .3 37.0 9.1 4.0 3.0 3.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ...................... 4,662 100.0 3.1 34.5 1.1 5.2 .6 38.5 9.6 2.4 2.5 2.5

Educational attainment 2

Less than a high school diploma ................ 2,427 100.0 3.4 21.9 .6 6.0 1.5 47.0 12.5 1.2 4.5 1.5

High school graduates, no college 3 ............ 10,998 100.0 4.6 23.2 1.1 8.7 1.8 40.6 12.6 3.0 2.9 1.4

Some college or associate degree ............. 15,519 100.0 5.5 25.1 2.1 8.0 1.3 36.4 13.7 3.2 2.8 1.7

Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 ................. 24,620 100.0 6.3 27.8 2.1 8.0 .8 32.1 13.8 3.6 3.5 1.9

Marital status

Single, never married ............................. 13,475 100.0 5.6 25.9 2.8 10.3 1.3 28.0 15.5 3.6 4.0 3.0

Married, spouse present ......................... 38,827 100.0 5.3 27.7 1.6 6.8 1.3 38.0 11.9 3.1 2.9 1.5

Other marital status 5 ............................. 9,502 100.0 6.1 19.7 2.3 10.8 1.1 33.8 17.4 3.5 3.7 1.7

Presence of own children

 under 18 years 6

Men:

 No own children under 18 years old .......... 17,377 100.0 7.7 16.7 2.5 7.7 2.3 35.9 16.6 3.9 4.5 2.2

 With own children under 18 years old ........ 8,891 100.0 5.2 40.6 .9 3.8 1.8 32.2 8.1 3.8 2.2 1.4

Women:

 No own children under 18 years old .......... 22,108 100.0 5.4 15.5 2.7 12.3 .7 38.2 16.2 3.4 3.6 2.1

 With own children under 18 years old ........ 13,427 100.0 2.9 45.8 .7 4.9 .5 31.1 8.8 2.0 1.9 1.3

Employment status

Civilian labor force ................................ 44,313 100.0 5.6 27.9 2.0 7.9 1.4 33.9 13.0 3.1 3.1 2.0

 Employed ......................................... 42,131 100.0 5.6 27.6 2.0 8.0 1.4 34.0 13.1 3.1 3.1 2.0

 Full time 7 ....................................... 33,344 100.0 5.7 27.5 2.1 8.2 1.6 32.9 13.5 3.2 3.2 2.2

 Part time 8 ...................................... 8,788 100.0 5.0 28.1 1.9 7.2 .8 37.9 11.7 2.9 3.0 1.5

 Unemployed ...................................... 2,181 100.0 5.6 32.2 2.2 5.9 1.0 32.1 11.7 3.5 3.7 2.1

Not in the labor force ............................. 17,491 100.0 5.2 21.4 1.7 8.9 .9 38.4 14.8 3.6 3.6 1.4

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 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. 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, 2007, through the survey period in September

2008. 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. 
Table 5. Main volunteer activity for main organization for which activities were performed and selected characteristics, 

September 2008

Characteristics in September 2008

Total

volunteers

(thousands)

Percent distribution of main volunteer activity for main organization 1

Coach,

referee,

or

supervise

sports

teams

Tutor

or

teach

Mentor

youth

Be an

usher,

greeter,

or

minister

Collect,

prepare,

distribute, or

serve

food

Collect,

make, or

distribute

clothing,

crafts, or

goods

other

than food

Fundraise or

sell

items to

raise

money

Provide

counseling,

medical

care,fire/

EMS, or

protective

services

Provide

general

office

services

Provide

professional or

management

assistance,

including

serving

on a

board or

committee

Engage

in music,

performance, or

other

artistic

activities

Engage

in general

labor;

supply

transportation to

people

Other

Equal

time

among

all

Sex

Total, both sexes ........................... 61,803 5.9 10.1 5.9 4.2 9.1 3.4 11.4 3.0 4.6 7.9 4.3 9.0 13.3 8.0

 Men ........................................ 26,268 10.3 7.6 5.7 5.5 6.8 2.0 9.5 3.4 2.7 10.1 4.1 12.6 12.7 7.1

 Women .................................... 35,535 2.7 12.0 6.1 3.3 10.7 4.4 12.8 2.7 5.9 6.3 4.4 6.3 13.7 8.6

Age

Total, 16 years and over .................. 61,803 5.9 10.1 5.9 4.2 9.1 3.4 11.4 3.0 4.6 7.9 4.3 9.0 13.3 8.0

 16 to 24 years ............................. 8,239 4.9 10.0 9.0 2.6 8.2 2.7 10.4 3.3 3.5 2.2 7.1 13.3 14.3 8.6

 16 to 19 years ........................... 4,437 5.8 8.8 8.6 3.1 9.7 2.8 10.9 2.0 3.2 1.0 7.2 14.7 13.9 8.3

 20 to 24 years ........................... 3,802 3.7 11.3 9.4 1.9 6.4 2.6 9.9 4.9 3.9 3.6 7.1 11.7 14.7 8.9

 25 years and over ........................ 53,564 6.1 10.1 5.5 4.5 9.2 3.5 11.6 3.0 4.7 8.8 3.8 8.3 13.1 7.9

 25 to 34 years ........................... 9,154 8.2 11.7 8.4 2.8 7.4 2.7 12.2 3.1 3.7 5.4 3.5 8.4 14.9 7.5

 35 to 44 years ........................... 13,016 10.6 12.1 7.2 3.1 7.6 2.9 12.2 2.9 3.9 6.7 2.7 7.8 12.5 7.9

 45 to 54 years ........................... 13,189 6.6 10.7 5.9 4.1 8.9 2.9 11.8 3.1 4.3 9.8 4.0 8.8 11.4 7.6

 55 to 64 years ........................... 9,456 2.1 8.3 3.1 5.5 10.2 3.7 11.9 3.5 5.1 12.8 4.2 8.3 13.1 8.1

 65 years and over ...................... 8,749 .7 6.7 1.8 7.5 13.0 5.5 9.2 2.2 7.2 9.4 5.2 8.3 14.9 8.4

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ......................................... 53,078 6.1 10.0 5.7 4.0 8.9 3.4 11.8 3.1 4.6 8.3 4.1 9.1 13.1 7.8

Black or African American ................ 5,325 5.6 10.7 8.4 7.0 9.9 2.8 7.7 2.6 4.3 4.8 5.2 7.8 14.1 9.1

Asian ......................................... 2,022 3.4 13.3 4.0 4.3 11.1 3.2 12.8 3.3 3.5 5.8 4.7 8.7 14.5 7.6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ............... 4,662 7.7 10.7 4.8 4.3 10.2 4.7 10.2 2.4 4.6 3.5 3.3 9.2 17.5 6.7

Educational attainment 2

Less than a high school diploma ......... 2,427 4.2 7.0 2.6 7.1 14.4 4.9 9.5 2.4 4.7 1.9 2.4 11.9 20.4 6.5

High school graduates, no college 3 ..... 10,998 5.9 7.4 4.8 5.1 13.1 4.5 12.0 2.6 4.7 4.2 3.1 10.5 14.0 8.2

Some college or associate degree ...... 15,519 6.1 9.4 5.4 4.5 10.3 3.6 12.0 2.9 5.2 6.5 4.0 9.0 12.9 8.2

Bachelor’s degree and higher 4 .......... 24,620 6.4 12.2 6.1 3.9 6.3 2.8 11.3 3.2 4.4 12.9 4.2 6.6 12.2 7.6

Marital status

Single, never married ...................... 13,475 5.1 9.2 7.8 2.8 8.4 2.8 11.5 3.6 4.5 4.3 5.5 11.8 15.3 7.2

Married, spouse present .................. 38,827 6.8 11.0 5.6 4.6 8.6 3.1 11.2 2.8 4.2 9.4 3.8 8.3 12.2 8.3

Other marital status 5 ...................... 9,502 3.5 7.7 4.4 4.5 12.0 5.4 12.0 3.2 6.0 6.7 4.3 7.9 14.8 7.5

Presence of own children

 under 18 years 6

Men:

 No own children under 18 years old .... 17,377 4.6 6.9 5.0 5.8 7.7 2.2 10.2 3.7 3.0 10.6 4.7 13.9 14.3 7.4

 With own children under 18 years old .. 8,891 21.3 8.9 7.0 4.9 5.1 1.6 8.2 2.9 2.0 9.0 3.0 10.1 9.7 6.4

Women:

 No own children under 18 years old .... 22,108 1.7 9.8 4.9 3.9 11.6 5.0 12.3 3.2 6.4 6.6 5.4 6.7 14.3 8.2

 With own children under 18 years old .. 13,427 4.3 15.7 8.1 2.3 9.3 3.4 13.7 2.0 5.2 5.7 2.9 5.6 12.7 9.3

Employment status

Civilian labor force ......................... 44,313 7.2 10.4 6.4 3.9 8.1 2.7 11.9 3.3 3.8 8.5 4.2 9.1 12.8 7.8

 Employed .................................. 42,131 7.3 10.4 6.5 3.9 8.0 2.7 12.0 3.3 3.7 8.7 4.1 9.0 12.7 7.7

 Full time 7 ................................ 33,344 8.1 9.9 6.4 4.0 7.6 2.7 12.3 3.5 3.4 9.3 3.7 9.0 12.5 7.5

 Part time 8 ................................ 8,788 4.1 12.5 6.8 3.3 9.5 2.6 11.0 2.8 4.8 6.3 5.7 8.6 13.5 8.6

 Unemployed ............................... 2,181 5.8 9.3 5.6 3.8 10.2 3.8 8.5 2.7 5.4 4.9 4.9 11.1 13.8 10.1

Not in the labor force ...................... 17,491 2.6 9.5 4.7 5.1 11.4 4.9 10.3 2.3 6.5 6.4 4.6 8.8 14.6 8.3

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 persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. 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, 2007, through the survey period in September 2008. 

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. 
Table 6. Volunteers by how they became involved with main organization for which volunteer activities were performed

and selected characteristics, September 2008

Characteristics in September 2008

Total

volunteers

(thousands)

Percent distribution of how volunteers became involved with main organization 1

Total

Approached

the

organization

Was asked by:

Other

Not

reporting

how

became

involved

Total 2 Boss or

employer

Relative,

friend, or

co-worker

Someone in

the

organization/

school

Someone

else

Sex

Total, both sexes .................................................. 61,803 100.0 40.8 43.7 1.4 14.2 26.8 1.2 12.6 2.9

 Men ............................................................... 26,268 100.0 40.5 44.5 1.4 15.2 26.4 1.4 12.0 3.0

 Women ........................................................... 35,535 100.0 41.1 43.1 1.3 13.5 27.0 1.1 13.0 2.8

Age

Total, 16 years and over ......................................... 61,803 100.0 40.8 43.7 1.4 14.2 26.8 1.2 12.6 2.9

 16 to 24 years .................................................... 8,239 100.0 40.0 41.4 .7 16.1 22.9 1.5 15.0 3.6

 16 to 19 years .................................................. 4,437 100.0 39.7 41.5 .3 16.2 23.4 1.6 16.0 2.8

 20 to 24 years .................................................. 3,802 100.0 40.4 41.3 1.3 16.1 22.3 1.4 13.8 4.5

 25 years and over ............................................... 53,564 100.0 41.0 44.1 1.4 13.9 27.4 1.2 12.2 2.8

 25 to 34 years .................................................. 9,154 100.0 41.6 42.5 2.4 15.1 23.1 1.5 12.5 3.3

 35 to 44 years .................................................. 13,016 100.0 39.9 45.9 1.9 13.4 29.5 1.0 11.5 2.8

 45 to 54 years .................................................. 13,189 100.0 39.7 45.0 1.4 13.9 28.6 1.0 12.8 2.5

 55 to 64 years .................................................. 9,456 100.0 41.1 43.5 1.1 14.0 26.9 1.3 12.6 2.9

 65 years and over ............................................. 8,749 100.0 43.6 42.1 .1 13.3 27.3 1.4 11.7 2.7

Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

White ................................................................ 53,078 100.0 40.9 44.2 1.3 14.2 27.3 1.3 12.3 2.7

Black or African American ....................................... 5,325 100.0 40.9 41.2 1.7 14.8 23.2 1.4 13.7 4.2

Asian ................................................................ 2,022 100.0 41.4 38.4 1.8 11.5 24.8 .2 14.4 5.8

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ...................................... 4,662 100.0 44.0 41.0 1.7 12.8 24.6 1.5 11.9 3.1

Educational attainment 3

Less than a high school diploma ................................ 2,427 100.0 45.4 42.1 .3 12.5 27.9 1.2 10.2 2.3

High school graduates, no college 4 ............................ 10,998 100.0 41.1 43.9 1.1 15.2 26.4 1.0 12.5 2.5

Some college or associate degree ............................. 15,519 100.0 39.8 44.7 1.5 13.4 28.3 1.3 13.0 2.6

Bachelor’s degree and higher 5 ................................. 24,620 100.0 41.2 44.0 1.7 13.8 27.2 1.2 11.8 3.1

Marital status

Single, never married ............................................. 13,475 100.0 39.8 40.9 1.8 16.8 20.6 1.6 15.2 4.0

Married, spouse present ......................................... 38,827 100.0 40.7 45.2 1.2 13.2 29.6 1.2 11.5 2.5

Other marital status 6 ............................................. 9,502 100.0 42.8 41.4 1.4 14.7 24.1 1.0 13.1 2.7

Presence of own children under 18 years 7

Men:

 No own children under 18 years old .......................... 17,377 100.0 40.5 43.2 1.4 16.0 24.1 1.5 12.9 3.4

 With own children under 18 years old ......................... 8,891 100.0 40.4 47.1 1.5 13.4 30.9 1.1 10.3 2.2

Women:

 No own children under 18 years old .......................... 22,108 100.0 40.9 41.9 1.3 15.4 23.7 1.3 13.9 3.3

 With own children under 18 years old ......................... 13,427 100.0 41.4 45.0 1.3 10.3 32.5 .8 11.5 2.1

Employment status

Civilian labor force ................................................ 44,313 100.0 40.0 44.4 1.8 14.5 26.8 1.2 12.6 3.0

 Employed ......................................................... 42,131 100.0 39.9 44.7 1.9 14.6 26.9 1.2 12.4 3.0

 Full time 8 ....................................................... 33,344 100.0 39.1 45.2 2.1 15.0 26.8 1.1 12.5 3.2

 Part time 9 ....................................................... 8,788 100.0 42.8 42.5 .8 12.8 27.5 1.3 12.4 2.4

 Unemployed ...................................................... 2,181 100.0 41.5 40.0 .8 13.1 24.1 1.8 15.3 3.1

Not in the labor force ............................................. 17,491 100.0 43.0 41.8 .2 13.4 26.8 1.4 12.6 2.6

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 persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 5 Includes persons with bachelor’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. 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, 2007, through the survey period in September

2008. 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.