In September 2011, “Civic Health and Unemployment: Can Engagement Strengthen the Economy?” was released. It found that states and cities with higher civic engagement rates saw less growth in unemployment during the height of the recession. One reason this might exist is the “Networkingl Hypothesis.” The hypothesis, as printed in the brief, states:


People get jobs through social networks. Job opportunities are often found through friends, family, professional connections. Multi-billion-dollar online social networks have been created to facilitate these connections for hiring. This suggests the need for those seeking employment to maintain strong relationships with neighbors and members of their service and civic organizations. As noted above, belonging to groups and serving on committees were correlated with unemployment change at the state level from 2006-10.



We want to hear from you: Do you agree or disagree with this hypothesis? Why? Do you have data or stories that illustrate this story? Please share them.

In the “Continue Reading” section below, you can scroll through and comment on the other hypotheses we’ve proposed about why this connection exists.