A million and a half more Americans volunteered to raise money, collect food and tutor children during the span of a year ending in September 2009, a period marked by job losses and a lousy economy
A report released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows about 63.4 million people ages 16 and older volunteered at least once between September 2008 and September 2009.
That's about a 1.6 million increase compared with the 61.8 million people who helped their communities during the same span in 2008.
However, it's not as many as the 65.4 million who lent a hand in 2005.
The report found that just over one in four Americans volunteer.
The hours people volunteered annually varied among age groups, with older people typically giving more time.
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