July jobless figures continue positive trend for vets
Published: August 3, 2012
WASHINGTON — Though July unemployment figures revealed a relatively stagnant national economy, the outlook was brighter for the veterans community.
For veterans of the post-9/11 era, the jobless rate was 8.9 percent in July, down from 9.5 percent a month ago, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The improvement over the last 12 months is even greater. In July 2011, 12.4 percent of recent veterans were out of work.
July was the fifth month this year that unemployment has been in single digits for recent veterans.
Among veterans of all generations, the report was also positive, with joblessness dropping a half percentage point to 6.9 percent in July. A year ago, 8.6 percent of veterans were unemployed.
The relatively small sample size used to calculate unemployment numbers leaves expertscautioning against sweeping assessments, but veterans groups are optimistic that White House initiatives targeting post-military employment and a greater national awareness of the issue can keep the needle moving.
For more on veterans employment, visit Stars and Stripes’ Get Hired page.
