The number of people working in the UK voluntary sector has increased by nearly 40% since 2001, and stood at 765,000 in 2010, says research jointly carried out by the Third Sector Research Centre and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

This rate of growth is quicker than both the public and private sectors, and the sector now makes up 2.7% of the UK workforce, up from 2% in 2001.

Voluntary sector workers are more likely to be employed part time than in private or public sector roles, and earn on average £55 less than in the public sector and £70 less than in the private sector.

Women make up two-thirds of workers in the sector, or 522,000 in total, and health and social work accounts for over half of employment in voluntary sector roles.