People, HR and employment

Employment in the voluntary sector has fallen by nearly 9% over the past 12 months according to our latest analysis of the Labour Force Survey. Data recently released for the third quarter of 2011 shows that the UK voluntary sector employs 723,000 people. This equates to a fall of 70,000 (8.7% of the workforce) over the past 12 months. In comparison, public sector employment fell by 4.3% whilst private sector employment rose by 1.5% over the same period.

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Numbers of paid staff and average hourly pay have failed to recover since the last quarter, despite increased emphasis on the government's Big Society.

Latest Labour Force Survey figures for the fourth quarter of 2010 show that the voluntary sector employs 793,000 people, the same figure as reported during the previous quarter. The previous quarter's figures were a 2% reduction on the preceding quarter. Median gross hourly earnings have stayed at £10.40 per hour.

Labour Force Survey figures for the third quarter of 2010 show that the voluntary sector now employs 793,000 people, a slight decrease of 2% since the last quarter. This is in contrast to the private sector which has shown a slight increase of 2%, whilst the public sector stayed reasonably static.

Labour Force Survey figures for the second quarter of 2010 show that the voluntary sector now employs 806,000 people, an increase of 8% over the last year. This is in contrast to the private sector which has shown a decrease of 0.5%, whilst the public sector grew by 1%.

The introduction of the Equality Act 2010 tomorrow (October 1) will consolidate and extend existing anti-discrimation legislation, but what does it mean for those working in the voluntary and community sector?

We've compiled a quick overview of the provisions coming into force, complete with links to further guidance on the nine protected characteristics and useful resources for employers.

Join us in celebrating the launch of Volunteers' Week (June 1 – 7) as we take a look at some key sector facts and reinforce how we support and sustain community engagement in our manifesto.

Volunteers' Week is an annual event organised by Volunteering England to recognise the contribution of millions of volunteers across the UK, raise the profile of the work they do and inspire others to get involved.

In April 2010, the Government is making a number of important changes to the state pension system.

The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has released official guidance on the new vetting and barring scheme, which was launched last month to protect young and vulnerable people.

The High Court recently ruled that the default retirement age was not unlawful.