Voluntary sector employment continues to rise
20th December 2010
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 findings, produced by the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) and NCVO in partnership with Skills - Third Sector, show that the voluntary sector continues to have a high proportion of part-time staff – 40%, and this has increased from 38% one year ago. A sizeable proportion of these part-time workers (11%) would like to work full-time but worryingly, could not find a full-time job.
Total paid hours worked have been growing less quickly than overall numbers of workers, reflecting shorter hours and less overtime. Compared to two years ago, voluntary sector workers are working an average of close to half an hour less each week. The findings come as part of an ongoing study being conducted by these three bodies into overall voluntary sector workforce trends.
The figures also suggest that organisations have responded creatively to declining income and that, in many cases, have changed working hours and arrangements in order to retain staff or to bring in new expertise to meet changing needs.
However, it should be noted that these increases in voluntary sector employment may not continue. The funding patterns of the sector mean that there is a lag between what affects the private and public sectors and what goes on to affect the voluntary sector. The recent Comprehensive Spending Review has outlined large cuts to the public sector, and this is likely to significantly impact on the voluntary sector over the next year.
Julie Wilkes, chief executive of Skills - Third Sector says:
"Skilled staff and volunteers are essential if organisations are to make a difference to the people and communities they serve. Now, more than ever, managers and trustees will need to think creatively about training and development to retain the skills they need."
For more advice and support on developing your workforce, please visit our People, HR & Employment pages.
Comments
I’ve been a volunteer before and it was a great feeling. The only problem is that, sometimes I also have financial shortages for my allowance reason for me to quit. I am glad to hear that private sector jobs were created in Dec. at a pace more than doubling anticipations, in accordance with a document released Wed. I found this here: Private sector job creation in December blows away expectations
Another jobs document indicated that job losses dropped to the lowest level in ten years. The latest employment information, a preview of this Friday's Labor Department careers report, could be a sign that the U.S. labor industry has started slowly climbing out of the deep crater left by the recession.