Press Release

Nonprofits Stand Out on Georgia's Economic Landscape

Atlanta, GA - 1/30/2004 - Jobs in Georgia's nonprofit sector account for one out of every 20 workers, or nearly 180,000 employees, compared to 145,000 paid positions in state government, according to a new study published by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies.

The Georgia Nonprofit Employment Report, the first-ever study to define the sector's effect on the state's economy, details the latest data available on nonprofit employment and payrolls by industry and location.

"The nonprofit sector is a major economic force in the state of Georgia, becoming more and more dynamic in recent years. And it continues to grow, which is a clear indication of its significance, influence and potential," said Karen Beavor, executive director of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits.

Key Findings:

* The nonprofit sector is a major economic force in Georgia, accounting for nearly one out of every 20 paid workers—more than six times as many people as the state's paper and allied products industry.

* The 178,657 nonprofit employees in Georgia earned over $5.6 billion in wages in 2002, or 4.2 percent of the state's total.

* While nonprofit employment in Georgia is primarily concentrated in the Atlanta metropolitan area, it is not restricted to any one region. To the contrary, nonprofit employment accounts for an even larger share of total employment outside of Atlanta—e.g., in the northeastern, southeastern and southwestern regions of the state.

* The bulk of nonprofit employment in the state (54 percent) is in the health services field; 21 percent is in educational services.

* Although nonprofit average weekly wages overall are below those of for-profit workers, in industries in which nonprofits and for-profits are both significantly involved, nonprofit average weekly wages generally outpace for-profit wages.

The report is available in its entirety online at www.gcn.org/ (Click on ‘Services,’ then ‘Research,’ then 'Georgia Reports').

 For more information, contact Laura Caligan at 678-916-3005 or at lc@gcn.org.

About the Georgia Center for Nonprofits
An all-in-one resource for and about Georgia's nonprofit sector, the Georgia Center for Nonprofits works to serve, strengthen and support nonprofit, charitable organizations statewide. The Center provides nonprofits with the resources and tools they need to be most effective; promotes partnerships between nonprofits and foundations, businesses and government to meet critical needs; and helps state and local policy-makers and the public understand and support the work of nonprofits.

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Media Contact
Nancy Longacre
678-916-3030
nl@gcn.org