A
new report released by the National Conference on Citizenship, The Saguaro
Seminar at Harvard University, CIRCLE, and the National Constitution Center,
finds that civic engagement may help decrease levels of unemployment,
contribute to economic resiliency, and help communities weather economic
recessions.
The
study found that there was a statistically significant negative relationship
between civic health and unemployment (the better the civic health, the lower
the unemployment rate) in U.S. states and metropolitan areas. The effects of
the civic health indicators were statistically significant even after
controlling for eight economic factors that other studies have shown to be
related to the recent economic downturn, such as housing inflation, the size of
state’s oil and natural gas industries, the proportion of high school
graduates, residential mobility, and state’s GDP.
Specifically,
the study found that a 1% increase in a state’s rate of working with neighbors was associated with a 0.26% decrease in the
unemployment rate, a 1% increase in attendance
at public meetings was associated with a 0.24% decrease in the unemployment
rate, a 1% increase in volunteering
was associated with a 0.19% decrease in the unemployment rate, and a 1%
increase in voter registration was
associated with a 0.10% decrease in the unemployment rate, controlling for the
economic indicators.
The
authors cite research on social capital and civic engagement to explain why
civic engagement matters for unemployment. Specifically, they argue that:
·
“participation
in civil society can develop skills, confidence, and habits that make
individuals employable and strengthen the networks that help them find jobs,”
·
that
“people get jobs through social networks” (e.g., Granovetter’s weak ties
argument),
·
that “participation in civil society spreads
information,”
·
that
“participation in civil society is strongly correlated in trust with other
people,”
·
that
“communities and political jurisdictions with stronger civil societies are more
likely to have good governments”
·
and
that “civic engagement can encourage people to feel attached to their
communities”
The
authors are careful to note that correlation does not necessarily imply
causation and that their results are intended to begin a discussion on the role
that civic engagement plays in economic development. Nonetheless, this is an
important study that should hopefully be part of any policy discussion in
states and local communities of the best way to create sustainable and
prosperous communities.
The
full report can be found on the NCoC website at: http://www.ncoc.net/unemployment
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ReplyDeleteCivic Engagement and Unemployment
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Civic Engagement is a benefit to any community and it helps more that just unemployment. A Community is normally a group of people with a common interest that share a geographical location, beliefs, and values. Each member contributes to the well being of the community. Actions within the community have meaning and have effects on others.
I can see the correlation between Civic Engagement and Unemployment through participation. It helps a potential employee “get their foot in the door” of that next great job. Any employer would want to hire a person with experience and if that same person worked for a time period for free, that would perhaps mean the this same person has a devotion to the skill and to the occupation itself.
I agree that it is important to not forget that voluntary participation in civil society “freely” not only helps the individual, it also helps the betterment of the community.
Civic engagement is critical for communities of all sizes. Civic engagement is also just as critical for the individuals who make up each community. When an individual is engaged with a community, it provides numerous benefits beyond simply lowering the unemployment rate. It gives that individual a sense of purpose, and helps them feel connected to something important. From the study conducted in the blog above, we can see that an individual who is connected to the community also appears to positively impact the unemployment rate. Unemployment is one of the biggest problems we are facing right now as a country. Anything we can find to be linked to this outrageous figure should definitely be looked into closely. Personally, I believe there is a link between civic engagement and unemployment because when a person gets out, and involved, in a community he develops relationships with other individuals. I know first-hand that for the past two years I have heard numerous times, “It’s about who you know, not about what you know.” I always blew this comment off and didn’t think there was any way it could be true. Just recently over the past couple weeks I have been able to get interviews for jobs and scholarships simply because of the people who I know. When an individual is engaged in a community, that person is able to meet new people, gain confidence, and has a better chance of finding work. Employers want to hire employees who are involved with the community around them. An individual who can work well with neighbors, attend meetings, and give up their time to volunteer are all qualities that will be highly considered by a potential employer.
ReplyDeletei think this is a very interesting blog. in my thoughts before reading this, when the unemployment rates are lower, there would be less volunteering and community engagement because people would want to do things that earned them money and not just for the benefit of the community. it really excites me though that there was more community engagement. it also now makes a lot more sense to me that people would have more free time and would still want to help our their neighbors.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that civic engagement is a huge benefit to the community. Civic engagement provides people with several ways of becoming employed. With civic engagement comes job networking. If an individual that is in need of help and is looking to hire sees another individual working hard through an unpaid civic engagement opportunity, they will assume that person will work just as hard while getting paid. Civic engagement does not only help the employee, but the employer as well.
ReplyDeleteCivic engagement also has a major effect on the community as a whole. With civic engagement more job opportunities can be created. Say the community decides to allow volunteers to help build a park. After the building of the park job opportunities will open. Someone will then have to manage that park and make sure it is kept up and looks nice for the community to enjoy.
Civic engagement is very beneficial for the community. There are no negatives in helping out the community, especially when it comes to the possible employment options.
The effects of the civic health indicators were statistically significant even after controlling for eight economic factors that other studies have shown to be related to the recent economic downturn, such as housing inflation, the size of state’s oil and natural gas industries, the proportion of high school graduates, residential mobility, and state’s GDP. Prostatic BPH Hyperplasia
ReplyDelete