10.3 Percent Unemployment Among Younger Vets; Trend Still Downward

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Veteran unemployment data for the month of March. The unemployment rate for one closely watched group, Iraq and Afghanistan-era Veterans (or Gulf War II-era Veterans), was 10.3 percent. While this reflects a higher number than in February, the trend over the past 27 months—since January 2010—remains downward for America’s most recent Veterans.

Tracking Veteran unemployment is notoriously difficult, and we often see significant swings from one month to the next—which is why looking at the long-term trend is critically important. While we’re heartened that the unemployment rate among younger Veterans has fallen over the long term, it is still too high as long as thousands of returning Veterans still can’t find meaningful work.

If anything, today’s figure reminds us that there’s still much work to be done. VA, in conjunction with the White House and our private sector partners, remains committed to ensuring that the unemployment rate for all Veterans continues its downward path.