New “satellite account” highlights the great economic importance of volunteer work.
Vienna (OTS) – “We have always known that the social mission of the Samaritan Association would be unthinkable without the commitment of the volunteers,” explains Reinhard Hundsmüller, Federal Director of the Samaritan Association. “Now we have the surprisingly sensational figures, data and facts on the table that were collected by Statistics Austria on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs and that for the first time allow a detailed economic recording of the activities of non-profit organizations using a so-called ‘satellite account.’ These results will necessitate a rethink in the perception of volunteer work,” says Hundsmüller.
Gigantic added value of 22 billion euros
For the years 2018-2021, key figures from existing data sources from Statistics Austria were combined with current statements from around 1,000 organizations. The result: non-profit organizations in Austria perform around 367 million paid working hours per year. Volunteers contribute an additional 470 million hours of unpaid work.
Around 3.8 million people in Austria volunteered in their free time and without pay in 2021. The economic value of this voluntary work is estimated at 10.2 billion euros.
The added value of paid work and voluntary work therefore amounts to a total package of around 22 billion euros.
Statistics Austria states: Without volunteer work, Austria would be a completely different country. More than 6,000 organizations are involved in non-profit activities in almost all areas of society. 30 percent of the value added (3.63 billion euros) is accounted for by social organizations and 23 percent (2.78 billion euros) by the health sector. The remaining 47 percent is distributed among education and teaching, art and culture, sports and various other services.
Volunteer work is valuable – and not something to be taken for granted
Whether in nursing, rescue services, caring for the homeless, national and international disaster relief or caring for refugees: around 8,500 volunteers support the social mission of the Samaritan Association with a lot of passion and commitment. And their commitment is becoming more and more important in view of the growing tasks of rescue and social organizations. “We need volunteers more than ever. The figures presented today are therefore also a clear signal to the federal government to create the best possible legal framework for volunteer work,” stresses Hundsmüller. For example, the Samaritan Association has been pushing for compulsory – Austria-wide – accident and liability insurance for volunteers for years.
At the same time, Hundsmüller points out that the selfless commitment of volunteers must not be exploited: “We expressly warn against promoting volunteer work solely for cost reasons!”
The final report can be read at www.sozialministerium.at/NPO-SatelliteAccount.
Inquiries & Contact:
Georg Biron
Workers’ Samaritan Association of Austria
Press and public relations
+43 1 89 145-376 or +43 664 46 000 23
georg.biron@samariterbund.net
www.samariterbund.net
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