Thursday, July 4, 2013

New Research on Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment

New ground-breaking research from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) provides evidence of a relationship between volunteering and finding employment.  

This new research, "Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment," provides the most compelling empirical research to date establishing an association between volunteering and employment in the United States.  This research has relevance for the National Park Service and our Volunteers-in-Parks Program.

KEY FINDINGS

  • Volunteers have a 27 percent higher likelihood of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers
  • Volunteers without a high school diploma have a 51 percent higher likelihood of finding employment
  • Volunteers living in rural areas have a 55 percent higher likelihood of finding employment
CNCS also found that volunteering is associated with an increased likelihood of finding employment for all volunteers regardless of a person’s gender, age, ethnicity, geographical area, or the job market conditions.