An official website of the United States government
United States Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure.
The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
SHARE ON:
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
- Unemployment rate for veterans was unchanged at 2.8 percent in 2023 (June 2024)
- Unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans with a service-connected disability up in 2023 (March 2024)
- Unemployment rates down from pre-pandemic levels for Gulf War-era II veterans in 2022 (March 2023)
- Unemployment rate falls for Gulf War-era II veterans with service-connected disability in 2021 (April 2022)
- Labor force participation rate for veterans was 46.8 percent in October 2021 (November 2021)
- Veterans with a service-connected disability much more likely to work for the federal government (March 2021)
- Gulf War Era Veterans in the Labor Force, Spotlight on Statistics (October 2020)
- Unemployment rate 5.5 percent in 2019 for Gulf War-era II veterans with a disability (March 2020)
- Management, professional, and related occupations most common among veterans and nonveterans (November 2019)
- Labor force participation rate 73.5 percent in 2018 for Gulf War-era II veterans with a disability (March 2019)
- Alaska had highest share of veterans in labor force among states in 2017 (March 2018)
- 31 percent of employed veterans with a disability worked in government in August 2016 (March 2017)
- 43.3 percent of veterans with a service-connected disability were employed in August 2015 (November 2016)
- Unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans 5.8 percent in 2015 (March 2016)
- Employment of veterans by occupation, 2014 (May 2015)
- Veteran unemployment rate decreases to 5.3 percent in 2014 (March 2015)
- Employment and unemployment among all veterans, Gulf-War era II veterans, and nonveterans (November 2014)
- Women veterans ages 25 to 34 had unemployment rate of 9.8 percent in 2013 (September 2014)
- Women veterans in the labor force, Spotlight on Statistics (August 2014)
- U.S. military veterans and nonveterans in the labor force, 2013 (June 2014)
- Unemployment rate for veterans edges down in 2013 (March 2014)
- Unemployment among veterans declines in 2012 (March 2013)
- Veterans in the civilian labor force, 2011 (November 2012)
- Employment Situation of Veterans - 2011 (March 2012)
- Employment of veterans, 2010 (November 2011)
- Unemployment rates of veterans, 2010 (March 2011)
- Demographics of Gulf War-era II veterans (August 2010)
- Employment Situation of Veterans, Spotlight on Statistics (May 2010)
- Charts submitted with Statement on Veterans' Employment (April 2010)
- Disabled veterans and the labor force, August 2009 (March 2010)
- Labor force participation in 2008 of veterans of World War II, Korean War, or Vietnam era (March 2009)
- Unemployment in 2008 and veterans who served since September 2001 (March 2009)
- Employment characteristics of Gulf War-era II veterans in 2006: a visual essay (May 2008)
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