WASHINGTON – As Congress prepares to adjourn for the Memorial Day Weekend, Joint Economic Committee (JEC) Chairman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) Friday urged her colleagues to consider the elevated unemployment rates of veterans who have served since September 11, 2001.

In a letter circulated to Senators and Representatives, the Congresswoman said JEC research found that while veterans in general have a lower unemployment rate than non-veterans, those who served since 9/11 are unemployed at higher rates than most veterans.

Following is text of Maloney’s letter, which contains links to a graph of the data as well as a state-by-state table.

Dear Colleague:

On Memorial Day, we remember those who gave their lives defending our country and honor those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces. As we recognize the service of our men and women in uniform, it’s an appropriate time to look at how veterans are faring in the labor market when they return to civilian life.

The Joint Economic Committee Democratic staff has compiled recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the unemployment rates of veterans, including unpublished data on the 2014 annual average unemployment rates for post-9/11 veterans in each state.

A graph of the data shows that veterans have a lower unemployment rate (5.1 percent) than nonveterans (5.7 percent). This is in part because veterans are on average older than other members of the workforce and older workers tend to face lower unemployment rates.

But the unemployment rate for veterans who have served since the attacks of September 11, 2001 – who tend to be younger – remains elevated (7.0 percent).

While the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans has come down by more than 5 percentage points from its peak of 12.1 percent, our recent veterans continue to face employment challenges as they transition from military to civilian life. More needs to be done to ensure that these men and women are able to translate the skills they developed in the military into civilian employment.

The state-by-state table shows the 2014 annual average unemployment rates for veterans overall and for those who have served since September 11, 2001. As you can see, there are significant differences across states.

I hope this information is useful to you as we continue our work to expand job opportunities for returning veterans and as we celebrate Memorial Day this weekend.

Sincerely,

CAROLYN B. MALONEY

Ranking Democrat, Joint Economic Committee

 

 

 

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