The latest national statistics show that both the number of volunteers and the rate of volunteering increased during the past year.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the figures for the federal fiscal year, ending in September 2009, show that 63.4 million Americans, or 26.8 percent of the population volunteered at least once during the year. In 2008, 26.4 percent of people volunteered.

The rate of women volunteering increased from 29.4 percent in 2008 to 30.1 percent in 2009. For men, the volunteer rate stayed the same and remains at 23.3 percent. As in past years, women volunteered at a higher rate than men across all age groups, educational levels and other demographic classifications.

To find out about new services for charities from Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray’s office, including streamlined background checks for volunteers, visit: www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/NewCharitableServices