ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A study from the University of Georgia suggests that people across the United States of America are volunteering less.

Research from the university shows that economic uncertainty and social unrest may be the cause for the decline.

“As wages stagnate and income inequality grows, people can’t afford to spend time volunteering,” researchers said. “This decline is especially alarming in rural communities where volunteer organizations and nonprofits fill gaps in America’s social safety network.”

Rebecca Nesbit, one of the researchers on the project and a professor in the UGA School of Public and International Affairs, believes the issue could exist through 2025.

Atlanta News First got to speak with Nesbit and ask her about the impact of low numbers of volunteers across the nation, as well as what could be done to get people to volunteer more.

UGA researchers say that the “bringing back the culture of volunteerism will take work,” but it can be done.

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