IAVA | May 2, 2014
Read: April Unemployment Rates for Veterans and the Nation Continue on a Downward Trend
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Today the Bureau of Labor and Statistics announced the unemployment rates for April 2014. Post 9/11 veterans showed a slight decrease, from 6.9 percent in March to 6.8 percent in April. The veteran population overall also showed a decrease from 6.0 percent in March to 5.6 in April. For all Americans, the unemployment rate dropped from 6.8 in March to 6.3 in April. For all Americans and for post-9/11 veterans specifically, unemployment rates are the lowest they’ve been since September 2008. (Note: the BLS jobs report is a monthly estimate of the nation’s employment situation, and fluctuations in the post-9/11 veterans unemployment rate may be in part due to the small sample of veterans surveyed on the report.)
In IAVA’s 2014 member policy survey, respondents indicated that employment continues to be a significant challenge when transitioning out of the military. They also identified employment concerns as one of the top issues facing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The nation must continue to focus on creating economic opportunities for our veterans, particularly given the intended withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan this year and planned reductions in troop strength and force structure.
For veterans who are facing hardship due to being underemployed or unemployed, we encourage you to contact our Rapid Response Referral (RRRP) team to get connected with resources to help you. Contact us directly by calling the toll free number: 855-91-RAPID (855-917-2743) emailing transition@iava.org, or visitinghttp://www.IAVA.org/RRRP.