# Voluntary sector jobs shrank by 8.7% last year, says Skills – Third Sector

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/01/09/voluntary-sector-jobs-shrank-87-last-year-says-skills-third-sector/
- Published: 2012-01-09T10:09:43+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The voluntary sector workforce has shrunk by 8.7% in the past 12 months according
to analysis of the Labour Force Survey by [Skills](https://blog.curriculosolutions.com/job-related-skills-how-to-ace-that-job-application)–
Third Sector, the skills and training charity.

The UK voluntary sector employs 723,000 people according to data for the third quarter
of 2011. Skills – Third Sector say that this equates to a fall of 70,000 (8.7% of
the workforce) over the past 12 months. During the same period public sector employment
fell by 4.3% and private sector employment rose by 1.5%.

The data shows that there has been a drop in average salaries. The median gross 
hourly rate in the voluntary sector fell by nearly 3% to £10. For the same period,
the data show increases in average pay in both the public and private sectors.

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The research was conducted by Skills -Third Sector together with the Third Sector
Research Centre (TSRC) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

Sir Stuart Etherington, NCVO chief executive, said: “The steep drop in the sector
workforce is deeply troubling, and provides robust evidence that spending cuts are
hitting the voluntary sector disproportionately. With diminishing resources and 
fewer staff, voluntary organisations are facing a perfect storm and will struggle
to meet the increased demand for their services that began with the recession of
2008.”

The [Institute of Fundraising](http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk) responded
to the figures by encouraging charities to invest in fundraising training to help
save more jobs and to continue to diversify fundraising income streams. It also 
urged funders to invest in fundraising too.

Peter Lewis, IoF Chief Executive, said: “At this time of cuts everyone understands
that they can’t just continue funding the same projects forever. They can, however,
help the sector to move to a more sustainable and diverse funding base through investing
in fundraisers.”

www.skills-thirdsector.org.uk

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