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Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey

Labor force statistics for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces

News releases

Current monthly data:

Employment Situation news release (Monthly), Table A-5
(PDF) (Charts) (Archives) (Schedule)

Annual average and supplemental survey data, including service-connected disability:

Employment Situation of Veterans 
(PDF) (Archives)

Frequently asked questions about data on veterans

Database

Retrieve historical data series

Veteran status by age and sex (including detail for Gulf War-era II veterans)
Veteran status by period of service and sex
What percentage of people in the labor force are veterans?

Seasonally adjusted data for veterans and nonveterans

Labor force Employment Unemployment Not in the labor force
Labor force levels Employment levels Unemployment levels Not in the labor force levels
Labor force participation rates Employment-population ratios Unemployment rates --

Not seasonally adjusted data for veterans and nonveterans by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Population Labor force Employment Unemployment Not in the labor force
Civilian noninstitutional population Labor force levels Employment levels Unemployment levels Not in the labor force levels
-- Labor force participation rates Employment-population ratios Unemployment rates --

Tables

Annual average table: Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, age, and sex (PDF) (XLSX)
Quarterly average table: Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, age, and sex (PDF)
Monthly data table: Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, age, and sex (PDF)

Charts 

Articles

  • Resilience through two recessions: veterans in the labor market since 2003 (June 2023) (HTML
  • Employment and earnings of recent veterans: data from the CPS (July 2010) (PDF)
  • BLS Deputy Commissioner's Statement on Veterans' Employment (April 2010) (PDF) (Slides, including charts)

Special notices and technical documentation

Beginning with data for January 2014, estimates for veterans incorporate updated weighting procedures that more accurately reflect the current demographic composition of the veteran population. The new weighting methodology had little effect on unemployment rates for veterans, regardless of gender or period of service. Learn more about the effect of the January 2014 weighting change on labor force estimates for veterans.

Effective with data for January 2023, estimates for veterans incorporate population controls derived from a new Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Population Projection Model (VetPop2020). In accordance with usual practice, BLS did not revise estimates for previous years. See also Veteran Population Projection Model.

See also Revised Data from the August 1995 Vietnam Veterans Survey

Last Modified Date: June 25, 2024