The Civic Footprints of Labor Market Participation

Longitudinal Evidence from the United States, 2002–2015

Dados Bibliográficos

ID18965643
AutoresD Wiertz (0000-0003-4872-6081, University College London, autor correspondente), Chaeyoon Lim (0000-0003-4527-4390, University of Wisconsin–Madison)
Ano2019
Volume97
Fascículo4
Páginas1757-1784
Data de publicação2019-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSocial Forces (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0037-7732 • E-ISSN: 1534-7605
EditoraOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/sf/soy108
OpenAlexW2898957257
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas8
Referências citadas38

While there is a widespread belief that stable employment is important for social integration, stable employment careers have become less common in America’s increasingly complex labor market. Job tenure has dropped, precarious work arrangements have gained prominence, long-term unemployment has spiked, and an increasing share of the jobless are not looking for work. Against this background, we investigate the linkages between labor market experiences and volunteer activities, as an indicator of people’s involvement in civic life. We outline a theory on how transitions between labor market states—within, into, and out of the labor force—bring about changes in civic engagement and test our predictions using panel data from the Current Population Survey 2002–2015. Contrary to what much previous research suggests, we find that people who become unemployed are more likely to start volunteering and no more likely to stop. We additionally show that people who leave the labor force altogether (i.e., not having a job nor looking for one) are more likely to stop volunteering. Conversely, entering the labor force, either by securing or searching for a job, is associated with an increase in volunteer activities. We explore the role of motivation and time resources in accounting for these patterns, finding among other things that moving into or out of the most detached labor market state—outside the labor force without any intention to find work—is most consequential for civic engagement. We discuss the implications of our findings for civic democracy in light of ongoing labor market trends

Civic engagement · Current Population Survey · Democracy · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Labor relations · Labour economics · Political science · Politics · Population · Secondary labor market · Sociology · Split labor market theory · Unemployment · Work (physics) · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Social Capital and Networks