Today the Bureau of Labor and Statistics announced that the unemployment rate for Post 9/11 veterans showed a large increase, from 7.9 percent in Janaury to 9.2 percent in February. The veteran population overall also showed an increase from 5.6 percent in January to 6.3 percent in February. These are the highest these numbers have been since November 2013. However, the national trend remained fairly stable (6.7 percent for February compared to 6.6 percent in January). (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 due to the small sample of veterans surveyed on the report.)

As IAVA prepares to launch its 2014 campaign to focus on combating military and veteran suicides, stressors such as job uncertainty and unemployment are certainly on our minds. It is imperative that the nation continues to focus on employment for veterans, and recognizes that younger OIF/OEF veterans continue to struggle to find employment once they separate from the military.

We must sustain a national private-public effort to employ veterans, whose capabilities and leadership skills make them an incredible asset. Companies throughout the U.S. who are hiring veterans understand the great investment they are making.

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 visiting http://www.IAVA.org/RRRP.