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Working for Nothing: The Supply of Volunteer Labor

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Richard B. Freeman

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Abstract

Volunteer activity is work performed without monetary recompense. This paper shows that volunteering is a sizeable economic activity in the U.S.; that volunteers have high skills and opportunity costs of time; that standard labor supply explanations of volunteering account for only a minor part of volunteer behavior; and that many volunteer only when requested to do so. This suggests that volunteering is a 'conscience good or activity' -- something that people feel morally obligated to do when asked, but which they would just as soon let someone else do.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 5435.

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Date of creation: Jan 1996
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5435

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  1. Menchik, Paul L. & Weisbrod, Burton A., 1987. "Volunteer labor supply," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 159-183, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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This page was last updated on 2009-11-21.

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