The nonprofit sector is a vital part of the employment landscape of the U.S., employing the third largest workforce and generating the third largest payroll of any of the 18 industries into which statistical authorities divide the American economy—larger than all branches of manufacturing combined, and behind only retail trade and accommodation and food services. What is more, nonprofits employ nearly 89% of all workers providing community, food, housing, and emergency relief services, more than 66% of all workers in hospitals, and 35% of all social services workers in the country. These organizations are essential threads in our safety nets, without which more people would slip through and more communities would struggle.
Nonprofit Works: An Interactive Database on Nonprofit Employment and Wages is now accessible in a fully re-developed and updated version by the George Mason University – Nonprofit Employment Data(GMU-NED) Project with support from the C.S. Mott Foundation. Previously hosted at Johns Hopkins University, the new GMU-Nonprofit Works Data Explorer, allows you to search and download the latest available data on nonprofit employment, establishments, and weekly and annual average wages by field for over thirty years—from 1990 through 2022—and compare nonprofits to for-profits and government over the full period. GMU-Nonprofit Works draws on official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys that also cover government and for-profit workplaces—making it possible to compare nonprofit employment and wages to those in these other sectors over time.
Through GMU-Nonprofit Works’ easy-to-use Data Explorer, you will be able to quickly answer crucial questions like:
- How many people work for nonprofits in your state, county, or city?
- In what fields are these nonprofit jobs concentrated?
- How do nonprofit jobs and wages compare to those in for-profit companies or government agencies working in the same fields?
- How much have nonprofits contributed to job growth?
- What key trends are affecting nonprofit employment or wages over a chosen time period?
Without ready access to hard data, however, nonprofit leaders and advocates often find themselves at a disadvantage in countering gross misperceptions about the considerable scale and economic contribution of these organizations or in alerting sector leaders to important sector trends, such as staffing and funding shortfalls.
This is where Nonprofit Works comes in by making it easy to access, download, and use the best available data on the nonprofit sector’s vital role as employers, wage payers, and service providers in our communities. As such, the new site comes at a critical time for the nonprofit sector, as it faces unprecedented challenges to its funding—including threats to government grants and payments and declining individual giving.