Contact IS Media Relations Lorraine Snebold Vice President Communications and Marketing office: 202-467-6132 cell: 301-351-9016 (after hours) lorraines@independentsector.org Bill Wright Director Communications and Marketing office: 202-467-6131 cell: 202-744-4781 (after hours) bill@independentsector.org

(Washington, DC, May 25, 2004)—America’s nonprofit sector has significantly outpaced the for-profit and government sectors in employment growth, reports a new study from INDEPENDENT SECTOR.

According to the latest measures available, nonprofit employment grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent between 1997 and 2001, adding over 1 million jobs to the nation’s economy. During the same time period the business sector grew at 1.8 percent annually, and employment in the government sector grew at a rate of 1.6 percent.

Nonprofit employment, which has doubled in the past 25 years, encompasses 12.5 million workers—nearly 10 percent of total employment in the United States. By 2010, this total should reach approximately 15 million, with growth forecast specifically in the areas of health services and social/human services. Organizations of the “independent sector” [501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and religious organizations] employ 11.7 million workers, or 9 percent of total employment.

“These strong employment figures match the growth of our sector and contrast with a much slower rate of growth in the business sector. This remains a place that people can turn to for employment,” said Diana Aviv, president and CEO, INDEPENDENT SECTOR.

INDEPENDENT SECTOR’s complete report, “Employment in the Nonprofit Sector,” (PDF) can be viewed online at www.IndependentSector.org.

This report focuses on nonfarm employment and reflects figures from 2001, the latest available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit community.