unem-allvetsThe Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released the unemployment data for February 2014. Although the month-to-month unemployment rate for Veterans continues to fluctuate, Veteran unemployment is still trending downward. While that is good news, we still have more work to do to ensure Veterans’ find meaningful employment that helps them secure their place in the middle class.

As we’ve discussed, comparing only the monthly data doesn’t give you a good overall picture of unemployment. That is why we generally look at the 12-month average – the trending data.

First, the statistics. In February, unemployment for all Veterans was listed at 6.3 percent, which is below the national average of 6.9 percent. Looking specifically at Gulf War II-era Veterans, we see unemployment is 9.2 percent which, while up from January’s 7.9 percent, is still among the lowest in more than three years. If you compare these data points over the past few years, you can see the downward trend for Veterans’ unemployment is continuing.

unem-gwvetsVA encourages Veterans who are looking for work to get in touch with all of the services that can help.  You can also visit a Veterans service organization to see if they can help you with employment, schooling or training – and with accessing those benefits from VA.

VA and its federal and state partners are here to help.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has the Hiring our Heroes program.

The White House’s Joining Forces initiative also works to support Veteran employment.

VA has resources at our employment services page.

Or, you might consider school or training – find information on our educational services page to see what benefits you are eligible for.

For state resources: do an online search for “state name + Veteran employment resources” and you’ll be amazed at what pops up.

Do an online search for “state name + Veteran educational resources” and you’ll find more benefits and assistance.

Additionally, many government agencies help, too. You can find resources at the Departments of State, Labor, and Justice and you’ll more for potential employees and employers at the Feds Hire Vets site. And, Veterans can always find assistance at the USAJOBS.gov website.

Finally, don’t forget your Veterans service organizations, non-profit organizations and other groups that provide assistance to Veterans. For example, the VFW offers help through its National Veterans Employment Assistance Service; you can find online information at the Military and Veteran Career Center at Military.com; or find a directory of veterans service organizations here.

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