A theoretical approach to the interrelation between volunteering and unemployment -- The role of volunteering for labour market integration or exclusion — German and British social policies compared -- Unemployment and volunteering — previous research revisited -- Hypotheses -- Methodological approach: cross-national and longitudinal -- Empirical results: Interrelations between volunteering and labour market inclusion or exclusion -- Discussion and conclusion.

Conceptualising employment and volunteering as two distinct forms of social inclusion, Susanne Strauß analyses their interrelations in Germany and Great Britain. On the basis of household panel data, she answers questions such as: Does job loss lead people to give up their volunteer work? Or do people who have lost their job keep up their volunteering activities to use them as an alternative source of social recognition? Does volunteering help with finding a new job? By comparing the situation in two different countries, the author stresses that differences in labour market institutions lead to distinct answers. Moreover, the study points to variations with respect to gender, education and the type of volunteering organisations.