Just under 1 in 10 of the 2.8 million U.S. veterans who have served since 9/11 remained out of work last year, with a 9% unemployment rate that was effectively the same as 2012 although it was numerically a little less. (Release, with links to detailed tables).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics in its Thursday release about the data cautioned that the new rates for male (8.8%) and female (9.6%) so-called “Gulf War II era” veterans “were not statistically different” from 2012. A year ago, the overall rate was 9.9%.
The overall 9% rate for Gulf War II veterans is just over one-third higher than the 6.6% for veterans as whole and one-fourth higher than non-veterans.
The new report also reported that twice as many of those most-recent recent veterans have service connected disabilities than all veterans — 29% vs. 15% as of August.
Gulf War II era veterans also reported more significant disability than other cohorts. Of those reporting a disability, 57% of Gulf War II veterans said they were 30% or more disabled compared to 47% for all veterans.
Of the Gulf War II veterans, about 40% reported having served in Afghanistan, Iraq or both. Those who served in both theaters had a slightly higher unemployment rate (13.3%) than those in only Iraq (10) and Afghanistan (12.3). The rate for those who served elsewhere: 10.9%.
Hispanic and Asian veterans from the most recent era had higher than average unemployment rates — 10.3% and 9.7% compared to 9% for White or African American.
The data was based on the monthly reports the bureau does through the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey of 60,000 households. It was supplemented by a special addition to the CPS in August that sought additional information about veterans.
States with the highest, lowest veteran’s 2013 unemployment rates
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statisctics