The August 2014 unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Veterans are, as a whole, doing slightly better than non-Veterans.
The 12-month rolling averages show that Veterans and non-Veterans overall are doing better than they were a year ago. Gulf War II Veteran unemployment has decreased 1.9 percent since August 2013.
Compared to last month, 
Veteran unemployment rates decreased by .4 percent and non-Veteran unemployment rates decreased by .1 percent. Gulf War II Veteran unemployment rates decreased by 1.1 percent, a sharp decline likely attributed to the school season.
From July to August 2013, Gulf War II Veteran unemployment rates increased by 2.3 percent, sharply inconsistent with this year’s decrease. In both July to August 2013 and 2014, non-Veteran and overall Veteran unemployment rates decreased.
From July to August 2013 unemployment rates for women Veterans, both overall and Gulf War II, increased. This year, from July to August 2014 the unemployment rate for women, both Veteran and non-Veteran has decreased.
Despite a 3.1 percent decrease in unemployment, Gulf War II women Veterans specifically are doing worse than non-Veteran women. However, women Veterans as whole are doing slightly better than their non-Veteran counterparts. All women Veterans unemployment rate is below non-Veteran women for the first time since March 2014.
Male Veterans as a whole are doing slightly better than their non-Veteran counterparts. Last month was the first time since May 2012 that the male Veterans unemployment rate was equal to or higher than non-Veteran males. This month the male Veteran unemployment rate decreased .3 percent lower than non-Veteran males.
From July to August 2013, Gulf War II male Veteran unemployment rates increased by 2.2 percent which is inconsistent with this month’s .6 decrease. This month’s decrease follows two months of increases. The August Gulf War II male Veteran unemployment rate is 2.4 percent higher than the male national average.
In April, Joining Forces launched the Veterans Employment Center, a new online platform which supports transitioning service members, veterans, and their spouses looking for new career opportunities. This site helps simplify the job search process by providing the most important online career tools within government in one place. This tool is a result of collaboration between the Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Office of Personnel Management, Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Job seekers can use the “military skills translator” to match military career tracks with civilian occupations and critical skills, create and upload a resume online, and find public and private job openings in a single search. Employers are provided with a direct feed of resumes from Veteran applicants, can view reverse skills translation (military to civilian skills) for applicants, and can make public their own Veterans hiring goals.
Watch a video about the new employment center here https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs.
Analyze the data yourself at https://news.va.gov/resources/unemployment/
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Good article Tim, the stats are very intriguing but I still think that our U.S. government should do more for the much older veterans.
Good article Tim, the stats are very intriguing but I still think that our U.S. government should do more for the much older veterans. I’m seeing many of them so broke, they can’t afford good food or housing. Yeah there are VA programs but they served our country and deserve a little more than what they are already given. We’re spending all this money on wars and feeding other countries but our homeless and veterans still need help. I sure wish more can be done about this. The unemployment rates are bad enough in this day and age.