The sector has grown considerably since the beginning of the 1990s. Workforce in the sector has to be divided in paid staff and volunteers. It employs approximately 569,000 paid staff – equivalent to 2% of total UK employees. An estimated number of regular volunteers is 15.9 million (the equivalent of 1.3 million full-time jobs). Up to 23 million people will volunteer at least once within a given year.

Source: NCVO 2004 and VSNTO 2003b

Employment in the volunteer sector takes place mainly in the areas of social care, housing, health care and education

• 41.9% Social Work (other)
• 9% Social Work (residential)
• 5.9% Religious activities
• 4.2% Development and selling of real estate
• 4.3% Hospital activities
• 4.3% General, secondary education
• 3.3% Other membership activities
• 2.2% Primary education
• 1.6 % Primary special education

Organisations within the sector range from small community-based organisations with no paid staff to large charities with thousands of paid staff. Larger organisations often have specialist paid staff for different functions. About 31% of employees are in workplaces of 50 people or more. 33.7% of voluntary sector employees are in workplaces employing one to ten employees.

• 36% of paid staff work part-time, 64% work full- time
• 89% of voluntary sector employees are permanent
• 70% of temporary jobs are fixed term contracts

Source: NCVO 2004 and VSNTO 2003b

Total workforce, 1995-2002

Total workforce full-time equivalents, 1995-2002