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Abstract

Volunteering has often been cited as a potential pathway for economic opportunity for the out of work to increase their job prospects, but little empirical research has been conducted on the topic. Using a nationally representative data set of 70,535 unemployed persons across a 10-year period (2002-2012) from the U.S. Current Population Survey, we found that when out of work in Year 1, those who volunteered had a 27% higher likelihood of being employed in Year 2, compared with those who did not volunteer. The relationship between volunteering and employment was strongest for individuals without a high school diploma and persons living in rural areas, where the increased likelihood of being employed in Year 2 for volunteers was 51% and 55%, respectively. We found that the relationship between volunteering and employment is stable across gender, race and ethnic categories, age, time, metropolitan statistical area (MSA), and unemployment rate.

Keywords

volunteering employment civic engagement

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Out of work? Volunteers Have Higher Odds of Getting Back to Work

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