Today the Bureau of Labor and Statistics announced that the unemployment rate for Post 9/11 veterans showed a decrease, from 9.2 percent in February to 6.9 percent in March. This is the lowest rate for post 9/11 veterans since November of 2008. The veteran population overall also showed a decrease from 6.3 percent in February to 6.0 percent in March. The national trend remained fairly stable for a third month (6.8 percent). More importantly, there has been a gradual downward trend in the last year that for veteran unemployment numbers overall and post-9/11 veterans specifically. (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.)

Even though the trend continues downward, IAVA’s 2014 member policy survey reinforces that employment continues to be one of the major challenges for servicemembers transitioning out of the military, and one of the biggest issues our membership has identified for this new generation of veterans. The nation must continue to focus on this issue and invest in this population of talented leaders.

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.