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The biggest states for volunteering 

Over 75 million people 16 and older rolled up their sleeves for formal volunteer gigs in 2023, logging 5 billion volunteer hours. Plus, Americans are proving more neighborly than ever, with more than half of us pitching in informally to help our communities. And while volunteering isn't a competition, you might wonder: [which states and generations volunteer the most]([link removed])? 

- Both formal and informal volunteering rates have risen since 2021. Informal volunteering means things like running errands or childcare.  

[Map of volunteers by state]([link removed])

- Utah leads in formal volunteering (46.6%). Vermont had the second highest rate, 40.5%. Minnesota and Nebraska tied for third at 40.3%. Utah residents were also highest in providing informal help (68.2%). 

- Alabama and Nevada had the lowest rates of both types of volunteering. Nevadans’ formal volunteering rate was 18.6%, and their informal rate was 45.7%. Alabamans volunteered formally at a rate of 19.9% and informally at 47.3%. 

- Gen Xers formally volunteered more than other generations (a rate of 32.3%), while baby boomers were the most likely to help neighbors (a rate of 62.2%). Gen Z was the least likely generation to volunteer informally and second-least to volunteer formally, though the youngest people in this generation are 12 years old. 

[See the numbers]([link removed])

Who works for the federal government? 

With the incoming Trump administration taking shape, eyes are also on the size of the federal workforce. From the agencies that fill Washington, DC, to California’s Veterans Affairs offices, millions of people work at the federal level. [How does that compare to other sectors]([link removed])? 

- As of last November, the federal government employed just over 3 million people, the most since 1994. That’s comparable in size to the information industry, which includes publishing, broadcasting, and telecommunications. 

[Map of federal employees]([link removed])

- California, Virginia, and Maryland had the most federal workers, but Washington, DC, outnumbers all states — 43.3% of its workforce filled federal jobs. 

- Federal employment has fluctuated over the decades, with a high of 3.4 million in 1990 and a low of 2.7 million in 2014. The 1990 peak came during a decennial census year, when there tend to be temporary spikes with short-term workers. 

- About 775,000 federal employees, the most of any department, work for Defense Department military programs. The Department of Veterans Affairs had the second most (433,700 workers), while the Department of Homeland Security had the third (212,000 workers). 

- The Federal Trade Commission, the National Credit Union Administration, the National Labor Relations Board, and civil defense programs had the fewest workers, about 1,000 each. 

[Get federal data]([link removed])

Data behind the news

A man drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans early January 1, killing 14 people. The FBI is calling it an act of terrorism. [See the data on domestic terrorism]([link removed]).  
 
Former President Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29 at the age of 100. Carter advocated giving the [Department of Education cabinet-level status]([link removed]). 
 
Our New Year’s resolution: keep acing the [weekly facts quiz]([link removed]).
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One last fact

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What’s the top factor parents consider when choosing a school for their kids? According to the Education Department, nearly 80% of parents said the [quality of teachers and staff]([link removed]) was “very important.” Other priorities included safety (71%) and curriculum (60%). 

 

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