A report by the Washington watchdog group OMB Watch found that non-profit employment across the nation is at a near standstill while average hours worked and pay in the non-profit sector have also fallen. The report pointed to budget pressures on non-profits as government and other funding falls and health care costs rise as a possible cause of the slowdown. A co-author of the study pointed out that the non-profit sector was an important part of the economy, not only in terms of who it employs but also who it serves.
See "Slow year makes short work of non-profit employment", Charles Storch, Chicago Tribune, September 5, 2004