Combatting Veterans' Unemployment Rates with Programs and Benefits

If a servicemember thought getting used to military life was an adjustment, transitioning out of the military and dealing with the change to civilian employment might be as equally uncomfortable--particularly when the unemployment rate is as high as it is today. Even if veterans think through the kinds of jobs they would like to pursue after the military and are proactive in preparing for these careers, it can be hard to find jobs.

How Veterans Unemployment Rates Have Changed

Overall, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from 2009 shows that the older a veteran, the better chance he or she has at employment. The unemployment rates of male veterans and non-veterans follow similar tends, but non-veterans have a slightly higher employment rate. Female veterans make up only 8 percent of all veterans, so the unemployment rates between female non-veterans and veterans aren't statistically different. However, since the recession began in 2007, unemployment rates across the board have risen. The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Scott Gould described the unemployment rate of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as "unacceptably high."

The most recent data from the BLS for October 2010 shows that new veterans (those who served since Sept. 11, 2001) are facing a 10.6 percent employment rate and that all veterans have a 8.3 percent jobless rate. Because the overall U.S. employment rate is at 9.6 percent, the trend of veterans being more likely to find jobs than the average U.S. worker holds true. These 2010 numbers are an improvement over October 2009, when the unemployment rate for new veterans was 11.6 percent.

Part of the reason that veterans tend to do better in the job market than non-veterans could be the current Veterans Employment Initiative. In November 2009, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that sets up federal agencies to more aggressively hire veterans. The first half of 2010 showed that this iniative is working, with more than 32,800 veterans getting hired. This number is 2,600 higher than the number of veterans hired during the same period in 2009. As part of this initiative, 24 federal agencies now have Veteran Employment Program Offices and FedsHireVets.gov launched to help vets get federal jobs.

Programs That Help Veterans Transition to Civilian Careers

There are loads of different programs, both at the state and the federal level, that are focused on helping veterans transition to civilian careers and find jobs. One such program is the Transition Assistance Program, a collaborative effort from the departments of Defense and Labor, Veterans Affairs (VA), and Homeland Security. Veterans and their spouses may be eligible to attend a three-day workshop put on by this program if they separated from the military within the last year or if they retired from military service in the last two years.

Three days may seem like a long time to listen and learn about career transition topics and tips on helping veterans find employment, but the program covers quite a few bases. Attendees can hear about current economic and job market conditions that can affect job searches, explore various careers, learn interview techniques for civilian job interviews, and complete an employability assessment. The lynch pin here is that on average, veterans who go through this particular program find employment three weeks faster than other veterans.

Using Military Education Benefits in Lieu of Unemployment

With military education benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, some veterans are rethinking their career goals and how education fits into the equation. Veteran Jeff Dunn is currently pursuing his MBA in Entrepreneurship from Fairleigh Dickinson University. "I chose to pursue an MBA in light of the recent economic downturn," said Dunn. "After completing my bachelor's, I still had benefits remaining. There are many people out there looking for work, and I realized that it can't hurt to further differentiate myself with a master's."

Unemployment--regardless of veteran status--can be unnerving. Veterans, however, have opportunities and programs that can help fend off unemployment as they make the military to civilian transition. Additionally, they have really valuable education benefits that can help them through the transition to civilian life and get them set up for a great civilian career.

Learn more and see the full infographic here: 

From the Armed Forces to the Workforces: The Military to Civilian Transition

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