Technical information: (202) 691-6378 USDL 09-0271
http://www.bls.gov/cps/
For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT)
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Friday, March 20, 2009
EMPLOYMENT SITUATION OF VETERANS: 2008
The unemployment rate for all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces was 4.6
percent in 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of
Labor reported today. The jobless rate for those who have served in the
U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 was 7.3 percent.
This information was obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS),
a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides official
statistics on employment and unemployment in the United States. Data
about veteran status and period of service are collected monthly in the
CPS; these data are the source of the 2008 annual averages presented in
this release. For more information, see the box note on page 3 and the
technical note, which provides definitions of terms used in the text and
tables below.
The Veteran Population
In the CPS, veterans are defined as men and women who have previously
served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and who were civilians at
the time they were surveyed. In 2008, 22.4 million men and women in the
civilian noninstitutional population ages 18 and over were veterans. The
veteran population differs from the nonveteran population in several ways.
Veterans are more likely than nonveterans to be men, white, and older.
In part, this reflects the characteristics of veterans who served during
World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era. Veterans who served
during these wars account for over one-half (11.9 million) of the total
veteran population. (Period-of-service designations identify when the
veteran served rather than where; thus, wartime veterans did not neces-
sarily serve in a war zone.)
A total of 4.6 million veterans served during Gulf War era I (August
1990 to August 2001) or Gulf War era II (September 2001 to the present).
Another 6.0 million served outside the designated wartime periods. (See
table 1.) Because age and other demographic differences can affect em-
ployment and unemployment status, the groups of veterans listed above
are examined separately in the next sections.
Gulf War-era II Veterans
About 1.7 million veterans have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since
September 2001. As is true for all period-of-service categories, men ac-
counted for the great majority (82 percent) of Gulf War-era II veterans.
However, the proportion of veterans who were women was much higher among
this group of veterans (18 percent) than among those who served prior to
either Gulf War era (4 percent). About 17 percent of the era's veterans
were black and 10 percent were Hispanic. Nearly two-thirds were under
the age of 35. (See tables 1 and 2.)
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A large majority (85.0 percent) of Gulf War-era II veterans partici-
pated in the labor force in 2008, and their unemployment rate was 7.3
percent. As with nonveterans, the jobless rates for veterans vary con-
siderably with age. Veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 had an unem-
ployment rate of 14.1 percent, nearly double the rate of those ages 25
to 34 (7.3 percent), and almost three times the rate for 35 to 44 year
olds (4.9 percent). In general, Gulf War-era II veterans' jobless rates
were little different from the rates of nonveterans in the same age group.
About 30 percent of employed male veterans of Gulf War era II worked
in management, professional, and related occupations, compared with about
34 percent of male nonveterans. Sales and office occupations; natural
resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; and production,
transportation, and material moving occupations each accounted for about
18 percent of employed male veterans and nonveterans. (See table 3.)
Among female veterans of Gulf War era II, 43 percent were employed
in management, professional, and related occupations, and 32 percent
held sales and office jobs. These proportions were virtually the same
as those for female nonveterans.
Gulf War-era II veterans were more likely than nonveterans to work
in the public sector. Among veterans of the era, 23 percent of men and
30 percent of women were government employees in 2008. For nonveterans
these proportions were 11 and 18 percent, respectively. (See table 4.)
Gulf War-era I Veterans
For the 2.9 million veterans who served during Gulf War era I (August
1990 to August 2001), the proportion that were men (85 percent) was simi-
lar to that of Gulf War-era II veterans. Blacks and Hispanics accounted
for 16 and 9 percent, respectively, of Gulf War-era I veterans, also
very similar to the proportions for Gulf War-era II veterans. About 7
in 10 Gulf War-era I veterans were 35 years and over in 2008, compared
with approximately one-third of those from Gulf War era II.
About 88 percent of Gulf War-era I veterans were in the labor force
in 2008, about the same as the rate for Gulf War-era II veterans. The
unemployment rate for Gulf War-era I veterans (4.0 percent) was lower
than the rate for Gulf War-era II veterans (7.3 percent). Since unem-
ployment rates are higher on average for younger workers, this dif-
ference probably reflects the older age distribution of veterans who
served in Gulf War era I. Labor force participation rates and unem-
ployment rates of Gulf War-era I veterans were generally similar to
those of nonveterans of the same age group and sex.
One-half of the female veterans of the era were in management, pro-
fessional, and related occupations, compared with 40 percent of female
nonveterans. The occupational profiles for male veterans of the era
and for male nonveterans were little different. As was the case with
Gulf War-era II veterans, both male and female Gulf War-era I veterans
were much more likely than nonveterans to work in the public sector.
Veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Era
In 2008, there were about 11.9 million veterans who had served during
World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam era. The great majority
(95 percent) of these veterans were at least 55 years old, and more than
one-half were at least 65 years old. About 97 percent of veterans from
these wartime periods were men.
Reflecting the fact that many were of retirement age, only about 40
percent of male veterans from these earlier wartime periods were in the
labor force in 2008. The labor force participation rates for these vet-
erans declined with age; for ages 45 to 54 it was 78.9 percent, for
those ages 55 to 64 it was 64.8 percent, and for those ages 65 and over
(more than half of the total) it was 16.3 percent. The unemployment
rates for these veterans were similar across the age groups--between 4
and 5 percent.
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Veterans of Other Service Periods
Six million veterans served on active duty during "other service
periods," mainly between the Korean War and the Vietnam era, and be-
tween the Vietnam era and Gulf War era I. Because these veterans
served between the major wartime periods, which span several decades,
this group has a diverse age profile. About 38 percent of these vet-
erans were at least 65 years old in 2008. Another 38 percent were
ages 45 to 54, and 17 percent were ages 35 to 44. About 90 percent
were men, 12 percent were black, and 5 percent were Hispanic.
In general, male veterans of other service periods had labor force
participation rates and unemployment rates that were little different
from those of male nonveterans of similar ages. As was true for war-
time veterans, male and female veterans of other service periods were
more likely to work for the public sector compared with nonveterans.
In addition, women who served during other service periods were more
likely to work in management and professional jobs and less likely to
hold service jobs compared with their peers who never served.
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| |
| Changes in the News Release on Veterans |
| |
| From 1986 to 2008, BLS issued news releases every other year |
| that focused on the results from the Current Population Survey |
| (CPS) biennial veterans supplements. Data on veterans also are |
| collected as part of the basic monthly CPS. This is the first |
| news release that presents only annual average estimates for |
| veterans compiled from the basic CPS. |
| |
| At this time, BLS plans to issue annual news releases on vet- |
| erans. In odd-numbered years, the release will include only the |
| annual average data for the previous year. In even-numbered |
| years, that is, the years following the biennial veterans sup- |
| plements, the news release will include both annual average and |
| supplement data. |
| |
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