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.)
- 2 -
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.
- 3 -
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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- 4 -
Technical Note
The estimates in this release are obtained from the Current Popu-
lation Survey (CPS), which provides detailed information on the labor
force, employment, and unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly
for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau using a
scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 households.
Questions were asked of persons 17 years of age and older regarding
their prior service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Data are tabulated for
persons 18 years of age and older.
The data in this release are annual averages for 2008, compiled from
the results of the monthly survey, which collects information on the
labor force status of the population as well as a number of demographic
characteristics including veteran status. In addition, a veterans sup-
plement to the CPS obtains information on presence and degree of service-
connected disability, membership in the Reserve or National Guard, and
other topics related to prior service in the Armed Forces. The most re-
cent such supplement was conducted in August 2007; a news release issued
in April 2008 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/vet.pdf) presented
highlights of this survey along with the annual averages for 2007. The
next veterans supplement is scheduled to be conducted in August 2009,
and the results will be issued in spring 2010 along with the 2009 annual
averages. This release presents annual averages only.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; TDD message re-
ferral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.
Definitions
The definitions underlying the data in this release are as follows:
Veterans are men and women who previously served on active duty in
the U.S. Armed Forces. Members of the Reserve and National Guard are
counted as veterans if they had ever been called to active duty. Per-
sons who are on active duty at the time of the survey are outside the
scope of the survey and thus not counted as veterans in the CPS. Per-
sons who reside in institutions, such as nursing homes and prisons, are
also outside the scope of the CPS and are not surveyed.
Nonveterans are men and women who never served on active duty in the
U.S. Armed Forces.
World War II, Korean War, Vietnam-era, and Gulf War-era veterans are
men and women who served in the Armed Forces during these periods, re-
gardless of where they served. Veterans who served in more than one
wartime period are classified in the most recent one.
Veterans of other service periods are men and women who served in the
Armed Forces at any time other than World War II, the Korean War, the
Vietnam era, or the Gulf War era. Although U.S. Armed Forces were en-
gaged in several armed conflicts during other service periods, these
conflicts were more limited in scope and included a smaller proportion
of the Armed Forces than the selected wartime periods. Veterans who
served during one of the selected wartime periods and during another
period are classified in the wartime period.
Veteran status is obtained from responses to two questions. The
first is, "Did you ever serve on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces?"
If yes, the person is asked, "Are you still in the Armed Forces?" An-
swers of yes to the first question and no to the second question qualify
the person as a veteran.
Period of service is obtained from answers to the question asked of
veterans, "When did you serve on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces?"
The following service periods are identified:
Gulf War era II -- September 2001-present
Gulf War era I -- August 1990-August 2001
Vietnam era -- August 1964-April 1975
Korean War -- July 1950-January 1955
World War II -- December 1941-December 1946
Other service periods -- All other time periods
Period-of-service definitions are modified occasionally to reflect
changes in law, regulations, and program needs of the survey sponsors.
- 5 -
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and non-
sampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is
surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates will differ from
the "true" population values they represent. The exact difference, or
sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample selected, and
this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.
There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an esti-
mate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors
from the "true" population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses
are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling er-
ror can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment
of the population, the inability to obtain information for all respondents
in the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide
correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of
the data.
For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and in-
formation on estimating standard errors, see the explanatory note for
the household survey online at http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf.
Table 1. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, sex, race, and Hispanic
or Latino ethnicity, 2008 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
Civilian labor force
Civilian
Veteran status, period of service, noninsti- Employed Unemployed Not in
sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino tutional Percent labor
ethnicity population of force
Total population Percent Percent
Total of Total of
population labor
force
TOTAL
Total, 18 years and over................ 224,655 151,735 67.5 143,373 63.8 8,361 5.5 72,920
Veterans.............................. 22,429 12,368 55.1 11,795 52.6 573 4.6 10,061
Gulf War era, total................. 4,592 3,989 86.9 3,782 82.4 207 5.2 604
Gulf War era I.................... 2,939 2,583 87.9 2,479 84.4 103 4.0 356
Gulf War era II................... 1,653 1,406 85.0 1,303 78.8 103 7.3 247
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era.. 11,855 4,690 39.6 4,492 37.9 198 4.2 7,165
Other service periods............... 5,983 3,690 61.7 3,522 58.9 168 4.6 2,293
Nonveterans........................... 202,226 139,366 68.9 131,578 65.1 7,788 5.6 62,859
Men
Total, 18 years and over................ 108,488 81,282 74.9 76,560 70.6 4,722 5.8 27,206
Veterans.............................. 20,712 11,253 54.3 10,739 51.8 515 4.6 9,458
Gulf War era, total................. 3,848 3,425 89.0 3,256 84.6 169 4.9 423
Gulf War era I.................... 2,488 2,231 89.7 2,147 86.3 84 3.8 257
Gulf War era II................... 1,359 1,193 87.8 1,109 81.6 84 7.1 166
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era.. 11,455 4,542 39.7 4,349 38.0 193 4.3 6,913
Other service periods............... 5,409 3,287 60.8 3,134 57.9 153 4.6 2,123
Nonveterans........................... 87,776 70,028 79.8 65,821 75.0 4,207 6.0 17,748
Women
Total, 18 years and over................ 116,167 70,453 60.6 66,813 57.5 3,639 5.2 45,715
Veterans.............................. 1,718 1,115 64.9 1,057 61.5 58 5.2 603
Gulf War era, total................. 745 564 75.7 526 70.6 38 6.8 181
Gulf War era I.................... 451 351 77.9 332 73.7 19 5.5 99
Gulf War era II................... 294 212 72.3 194 65.9 19 8.9 81
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era.. 399 148 37.0 143 35.8 5 3.2 252
Other service periods............... 574 403 70.3 388 67.6 16 3.8 170
Nonveterans........................... 114,450 69,338 60.6 65,757 57.5 3,581 5.2 45,112
White
Total, 18 years and over................ 182,578 123,509 67.6 117,422 64.3 6,087 4.9 59,069
Veterans.............................. 19,256 10,355 53.8 9,920 51.5 435 4.2 8,900
Gulf War era, total................. 3,566 3,101 87.0 2,961 83.0 141 4.5 465
Gulf War era I.................... 2,298 2,023 88.0 1,958 85.2 65 3.2 275
Gulf War era II................... 1,268 1,078 85.0 1,003 79.1 76 7.0 190
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era.. 10,655 4,232 39.7 4,064 38.1 168 4.0 6,423
Other service periods............... 5,034 3,022 60.0 2,895 57.5 127 4.2 2,013
Nonveterans........................... 163,322 113,153 69.3 107,502 65.8 5,651 5.0 50,169
Black or African American
Total, 18 years and over................ 26,421 17,505 66.3 15,814 59.9 1,690 9.7 8,917
Veterans.............................. 2,383 1,515 63.6 1,408 59.1 108 7.1 868
Gulf War era, total................. 758 650 85.8 602 79.4 49 7.5 108
Gulf War era I.................... 482 422 87.5 394 81.7 28 6.6 60
Gulf War era II................... 276 228 82.7 208 75.3 20 9.0 48
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era.. 892 334 37.4 310 34.7 24 7.3 558
Other service periods............... 733 531 72.4 496 67.7 35 6.6 202
Nonveterans........................... 24,038 15,989 66.5 14,407 59.9 1,583 9.9 8,049
Asian
Total, 18 years and over................ 10,363 7,101 68.5 6,828 65.9 274 3.9 3,261
Veterans.............................. 254 154 60.5 149 58.6 5 3.1 100
Gulf War era, total................. 89 77 85.7 74 83.1 2 3.1 13
Gulf War era I.................... 58 46 79.7 45 76.9 2 3.5 12
Gulf War era II................... 31 30 (1) 29 (1) 1 (1) 1
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era.. 98 34 34.7 32 32.6 2 (1) 64
Other service periods............... 67 43 64.5 43 63.9 - - 24
Nonveterans........................... 10,109 6,948 68.7 6,678 66.1 269 3.9 3,161
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Total, 18 years and over................ 30,444 21,600 71.0 20,033 65.8 1,567 7.3 8,844
Veterans.............................. 1,177 808 68.7 767 65.2 41 5.1 369
Gulf War era, total................. 429 374 87.1 352 81.9 22 5.9 55
Gulf War era I.................... 268 240 89.6 226 84.3 14 5.9 28
Gulf War era II................... 161 133 82.9 125 77.9 8 6.0 28
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era.. 440 213 48.5 202 45.9 12 5.5 226
Other service periods............... 309 221 71.7 214 69.3 7 3.4 87
Nonveterans........................... 29,266 20,792 71.0 19,266 65.8 1,526 7.3 8,475
1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 35,000. Small estimated levels are based on a small number
of survey responses and, thus, are subject to relatively large standard errors.
NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the
Vietnam era, the Gulf War era, and all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and women who never served in the
U.S. Armed Forces. Other service periods include the periods between World War II and the Korean War, between the
Korean War and the Vietnam era, and between the Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed information appears in
the Technical Note of this release. Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian)
do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or
Latino may be of any race. Dash represents or rounds to zero.
Table 2. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, age, period of service, and sex,
2008 annual averages
(Numbers in thousands)
Civilian labor force
Civilian
noninsti- Employed Unemployed Not in
Veteran status, age, period of tutional Percent labor
service, and sex population of force
Total population Percent Percent
Total of Total of
population labor
force
TOTAL
VETERANS
Total, 18 years and over................ 22,429 12,368 55.1 11,795 52.6 573 4.6 10,061
18 to 24 years........................ 317 255 80.6 219 69.2 36 14.1 61
25 to 34 years........................ 1,582 1,378 87.1 1,294 81.8 84 6.1 204
35 to 44 years........................ 2,617 2,391 91.4 2,289 87.5 102 4.3 225
45 to 54 years........................ 3,661 3,092 84.5 2,951 80.6 141 4.6 569
55 to 64 years........................ 5,623 3,665 65.2 3,520 62.6 145 4.0 1,958
65 years and over..................... 8,630 1,587 18.4 1,522 17.6 65 4.1 7,043
Gulf War era, total
Total, 18 years and over................ 4,592 3,989 86.9 3,782 82.4 207 5.2 604
18 to 24 years........................ 317 255 80.6 219 69.2 36 14.1 61
25 to 34 years........................ 1,582 1,378 87.1 1,294 81.8 84 6.1 204
35 to 44 years........................ 1,590 1,456 91.5 1,394 87.6 62 4.3 134
45 to 54 years........................ 747 653 87.4 634 84.9 19 2.9 94
55 to 64 years........................ 303 228 75.1 222 73.3 5 2.4 76
65 years and over..................... 52 19 35.8 18 35.0 - - 34
Gulf War era I
Total, 18 years and over................ 2,939 2,583 87.9 2,479 84.4 103 4.0 356
18 to 24 years........................ - - - - - - - -
25 to 34 years........................ 837 744 88.9 706 84.3 38 5.1 93
35 to 44 years........................ 1,286 1,181 91.8 1,132 88.0 49 4.1 106
45 to 54 years........................ 537 467 86.9 454 84.6 13 2.7 70
55 to 64 years........................ 237 177 74.8 173 73.2 4 2.1 60
65 years and over..................... 43 15 34.7 14 33.7 - - 28
Gulf War era II
Total, 18 years and over................ 1,653 1,406 85.0 1,303 78.8 103 7.3 247
18 to 24 years........................ 317 255 80.6 219 69.2 36 14.1 61
25 to 34 years........................ 745 634 85.1 588 78.9 46 7.3 111
35 to 44 years........................ 304 275 90.5 262 86.1 13 4.9 29
45 to 54 years........................ 211 186 88.5 180 85.6 6 3.3 24
55 to 64 years........................ 67 51 76.2 49 73.7 2 3.3 16
65 years and over..................... 10 4 (1) 4 (1) - - 6
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era (2)
Total, 45 years and over................ 11,855 4,690 39.6 4,492 37.9 198 4.2 7,165
45 to 54 years........................ 628 494 78.7 469 74.7 25 5.1 134
55 to 64 years........................ 4,934 3,188 64.6 3,056 61.9 132 4.1 1,746
65 years and over..................... 6,293 1,008 16.0 968 15.4 40 4.0 5,285
Other service periods
Total, 25 years and over................ 5,983 3,690 61.7 3,522 58.9 168 4.6 2,293
25 to 34 years........................ - - - - - - - -
35 to 44 years........................ 1,026 935 91.1 895 87.2 40 4.3 91
45 to 54 years........................ 2,286 1,945 85.1 1,848 80.9 97 5.0 341
55 to 64 years........................ 386 249 64.6 242 62.7 7 3.0 137
65 years and over..................... 2,284 560 24.5 536 23.5 24 4.3 1,724
NONVETERANS
Total, 18 years and over................ 202,226 139,366 68.9 131,578 65.1 7,788 5.6 62,859
18 to 24 years........................ 28,034 19,225 68.6 16,994 60.6 2,231 11.6 8,810
25 to 34 years........................ 38,411 31,954 83.2 30,089 78.3 1,865 5.8 6,457
35 to 44 years........................ 39,083 32,670 83.6 31,168 79.7 1,502 4.6 6,413
45 to 54 years........................ 40,300 32,912 81.7 31,578 78.4 1,334 4.1 7,388
55 to 64 years........................ 27,868 17,951 64.4 17,292 62.1 658 3.7 9,917
65 years and over..................... 28,530 4,654 16.3 4,457 15.6 197 4.2 23,875
MEN
VETERANS
Total, 18 years and over................ 20,712 11,253 54.3 10,739 51.8 515 4.6 9,458
18 to 24 years........................ 249 211 84.7 181 72.9 29 13.9 38
25 to 34 years........................ 1,276 1,153 90.4 1,086 85.1 67 5.8 123
35 to 44 years........................ 2,242 2,086 93.0 1,996 89.0 90 4.3 157
45 to 54 years........................ 3,207 2,736 85.3 2,612 81.4 124 4.5 471
55 to 64 years........................ 5,377 3,515 65.4 3,374 62.7 141 4.0 1,862
65 years and over..................... 8,361 1,553 18.6 1,491 17.8 63 4.0 6,807
Gulf War era, total
Total, 18 years and over................ 3,848 3,425 89.0 3,256 84.6 169 4.9 423
18 to 24 years........................ 249 211 84.7 181 72.9 29 13.9 38
25 to 34 years........................ 1,276 1,153 90.4 1,086 85.1 67 5.8 123
35 to 44 years........................ 1,354 1,262 93.2 1,210 89.3 53 4.2 92
45 to 54 years........................ 647 574 88.8 561 86.6 14 2.4 73
55 to 64 years........................ 274 208 75.8 203 73.8 5 2.6 66
65 years and over..................... 47 17 35.3 16 34.4 - - 31
Gulf War era I
Total, 18 years and over................ 2,488 2,231 89.7 2,147 86.3 84 3.8 257
18 to 24 years........................ - - - - - - - -
25 to 34 years........................ 677 622 91.8 591 87.2 31 5.0 55
35 to 44 years........................ 1,098 1,029 93.7 990 90.1 40 3.9 69
45 to 54 years........................ 459 405 88.3 396 86.3 9 2.2 54
55 to 64 years........................ 215 161 75.1 158 73.3 4 2.3 54
65 years and over..................... 38 13 34.9 13 33.7 - - 25
Gulf War era II
Total, 18 years and over................ 1,359 1,193 87.8 1,109 81.6 84 7.1 166
18 to 24 years........................ 249 211 84.7 181 72.9 29 13.9 38
25 to 34 years........................ 598 531 88.7 495 82.7 36 6.8 68
35 to 44 years........................ 255 233 91.1 220 86.1 13 5.5 23
45 to 54 years........................ 188 169 90.0 164 87.5 5 2.8 19
55 to 64 years........................ 59 47 78.6 45 75.8 2 3.6 13
65 years and over..................... 9 3 (1) 3 (1) - - 6
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era (2)
Total, 45 years and over................ 11,455 4,542 39.7 4,349 38.0 193 4.3 6,913
45 to 54 years........................ 588 464 78.9 440 74.9 23 5.0 124
55 to 64 years........................ 4,762 3,085 64.8 2,955 62.1 130 4.2 1,677
65 years and over..................... 6,105 993 16.3 953 15.6 40 4.0 5,112
Other service periods
Total, 25 years and over................ 5,409 3,287 60.8 3,134 57.9 153 4.6 2,123
25 to 34 years........................ - - - - - - - -
35 to 44 years........................ 889 824 92.7 786 88.5 37 4.5 65
45 to 54 years........................ 1,972 1,698 86.1 1,611 81.7 87 5.1 274
55 to 64 years........................ 340 222 65.2 216 63.4 6 2.7 118
65 years and over..................... 2,208 543 24.6 521 23.6 22 4.1 1,665
NONVETERANS
Total, 18 years and over................ 87,776 70,028 79.8 65,821 75.0 4,207 6.0 17,748
18 to 24 years........................ 14,035 10,089 71.9 8,773 62.5 1,316 13.0 3,946
25 to 34 years........................ 18,723 17,149 91.6 16,098 86.0 1,052 6.1 1,574
35 to 44 years........................ 18,325 16,886 92.1 16,101 87.9 785 4.6 1,439
45 to 54 years........................ 18,307 16,193 88.5 15,512 84.7 681 4.2 2,113
55 to 64 years........................ 10,747 7,830 72.9 7,545 70.2 285 3.6 2,917
65 years and over..................... 7,639 1,880 24.6 1,792 23.5 89 4.7 5,759
WOMEN
VETERANS
Total, 18 years and over................ 1,718 1,115 64.9 1,057 61.5 58 5.2 603
18 to 24 years........................ 68 44 65.6 38 55.7 7 15.1 23
25 to 34 years........................ 306 225 73.5 208 68.0 17 7.5 81
35 to 44 years........................ 374 306 81.6 293 78.3 12 4.0 69
45 to 54 years........................ 454 356 78.4 340 74.8 17 4.7 98
55 to 64 years........................ 246 150 60.9 146 59.3 4 2.5 96
65 years and over..................... 269 33 12.5 32 11.8 2 (1) 235
Gulf War era, total
Total, 18 years and over................ 745 564 75.7 526 70.6 38 6.8 181
18 to 24 years........................ 68 44 65.6 38 55.7 7 15.1 23
25 to 34 years........................ 306 225 73.5 208 68.0 17 7.5 81
35 to 44 years........................ 236 194 82.0 184 77.9 10 4.9 43
45 to 54 years........................ 100 79 78.5 74 73.6 5 6.2 22
55 to 64 years........................ 29 20 (1) 20 (1) - - 9
65 years and over..................... 5 2 (1) 2 (1) - - 3
Gulf War era I
Total, 18 years and over................ 451 351 77.9 332 73.7 19 5.5 99
18 to 24 years........................ - - - - - - - -
25 to 34 years........................ 159 122 76.3 115 72.1 7 5.6 38
35 to 44 years........................ 188 151 80.6 142 75.8 9 6.0 36
45 to 54 years........................ 78 61 79.1 58 74.7 3 5.6 16
55 to 64 years........................ 22 16 (1) 16 (1) - - 6
65 years and over..................... 4 2 (1) 2 (1) - - 3
Gulf War era II
Total, 18 years and over................ 294 212 72.3 194 65.9 19 8.9 81
18 to 24 years........................ 68 44 65.6 38 55.7 7 15.1 23
25 to 34 years........................ 147 104 70.5 93 63.6 10 9.8 43
35 to 44 years........................ 49 42 87.2 42 86.2 1 1.2 6
45 to 54 years........................ 23 17 (1) 16 (1) 1 (1) 5
55 to 64 years........................ 7 4 (1) 4 (1) - - 3
65 years and over..................... 1 1 (1) 1 (1) - - -
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era (2)
Total, 45 years and over................ 399 148 37.0 143 35.8 5 3.2 252
45 to 54 years........................ 40 30 75.9 29 71.2 2 (1) 10
55 to 64 years........................ 172 103 59.9 100 58.4 2 2.4 69
65 years and over..................... 188 15 7.8 14 7.6 - (1) 173
Other service periods
Total, 25 years and over................ 574 403 70.3 388 67.6 16 3.8 170
25 to 34 years........................ - - - - - - - -
35 to 44 years........................ 138 112 81.1 109 79.1 3 2.5 26
45 to 54 years........................ 314 247 78.8 237 75.6 10 4.0 67
55 to 64 years........................ 46 27 60.2 26 57.3 1 (1) 18
65 years and over..................... 76 17 22.1 15 20.1 2 (1) 59
NONVETERANS
Total, 18 years and over................ 114,450 69,338 60.6 65,757 57.5 3,581 5.2 45,112
18 to 24 years........................ 13,999 9,136 65.3 8,220 58.7 915 10.0 4,863
25 to 34 years........................ 19,688 14,805 75.2 13,992 71.1 813 5.5 4,883
35 to 44 years........................ 20,758 15,784 76.0 15,067 72.6 717 4.5 4,974
45 to 54 years........................ 21,994 16,719 76.0 16,066 73.0 653 3.9 5,274
55 to 64 years........................ 17,121 10,120 59.1 9,747 56.9 373 3.7 7,001
65 years and over..................... 20,891 2,774 13.3 2,665 12.8 109 3.9 18,117
1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 35,000. Small estimated levels are based on a small number
of survey responses and, thus, are subject to relatively large standard errors.
2 Because of the aging of the population, there are no longer any veterans of these eras under 45 years of age.
NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the
Vietnam era, the Gulf War era, and all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and women who never served in the
U.S. Armed Forces. Other service periods include the periods between World War II and the Korean War, between the
Korean War and the Vietnam era, and between the Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed information appears in
the Technical Note of this release. Dash represents or rounds to zero.
Table 3. Employed persons 18 years and over by occupation, sex, veteran status, and period of service, 2008 annual averages
(Percent distribution)
Gulf War era WW II,
Korean Other Non-
Occupation Veterans War, and service veterans
Total Gulf War Gulf War Vietnam periods
era I era II era
TOTAL
Total, 18 years and over (in thousands)................... 11,795 3,782 2,479 1,303 4,492 3,522 131,578
Percent................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Management, professional, and related occupations........... 36.0 34.9 36.8 31.4 38.6 34.0 36.8
Management, business, and financial operations occupations 17.5 15.0 15.7 13.7 20.8 16.2 15.2
Professional and related occupations....................... 18.5 19.9 21.1 17.7 17.8 17.8 21.6
Service occupations......................................... 12.4 15.1 14.3 16.6 9.8 12.9 16.7
Sales and office occupations................................ 18.0 18.0 17.0 20.0 18.3 17.7 24.9
Sales and related occupations.............................. 9.7 8.2 7.8 8.9 11.2 9.4 11.1
Office and administrative support occupations.............. 8.3 9.8 9.2 11.1 7.1 8.3 13.7
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 15.6 15.9 15.7 16.1 14.6 16.5 9.8
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations................. .4 .3 .2 .5 .6 .4 .7
Construction and extraction occupations.................... 7.4 6.8 6.7 7.0 7.4 8.1 5.9
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.......... 7.7 8.8 8.8 8.7 6.5 8.0 3.2
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 17.9 16.1 16.2 15.9 18.6 18.9 11.8
Production occupations..................................... 7.4 6.5 6.9 5.9 7.5 8.1 6.1
Transportation and material moving occupations............. 10.5 9.6 9.3 10.0 11.1 10.8 5.7
MEN
Total, 18 years and over (in thousands)................... 10,739 3,256 2,147 1,109 4,349 3,134 65,821
Percent................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Management, professional, and related occupations........... 35.0 32.9 34.7 29.5 38.3 32.6 33.6
Management, business, and financial operations occupations 17.7 14.8 15.4 13.7 21.0 16.1 16.3
Professional and related occupations....................... 17.3 18.1 19.3 15.8 17.2 16.5 17.3
Service occupations......................................... 12.2 15.0 14.3 16.3 9.8 12.7 13.3
Sales and office occupations................................ 16.8 16.0 15.1 17.8 17.8 16.0 16.8
Sales and related occupations.............................. 9.7 8.1 7.9 8.3 11.2 9.1 10.7
Office and administrative support occupations.............. 7.1 8.0 7.2 9.5 6.6 6.9 6.1
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 17.0 18.3 18.1 18.6 15.0 18.3 18.6
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations................. .5 .3 .2 .6 .7 .4 1.0
Construction and extraction occupations.................... 8.1 7.9 7.8 8.2 7.7 9.0 11.4
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.......... 8.4 10.1 10.2 9.8 6.7 8.9 6.2
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 19.0 17.8 17.8 17.8 19.1 20.3 17.7
Production occupations..................................... 7.7 7.0 7.4 6.3 7.7 8.6 8.3
Transportation and material moving occupations............. 11.3 10.7 10.4 11.4 11.4 11.7 9.4
WOMEN
Total, 18 years and over (in thousands)................... 1,057 526 332 194 143 388 65,757
Percent................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Management, professional, and related occupations........... 46.5 47.4 50.3 42.5 48.4 44.5 40.0
Management, business, and financial operations occupations 15.8 16.1 17.5 13.7 12.8 16.4 14.1
Professional and related occupations....................... 30.7 31.3 32.8 28.7 35.7 28.1 25.9
Service occupations......................................... 14.6 16.0 14.6 18.3 10.5 14.3 20.2
Sales and office occupations................................ 31.0 30.2 29.0 32.2 33.5 31.1 33.0
Sales and related occupations.............................. 10.3 8.9 6.8 12.4 11.1 11.8 11.6
Office and administrative support occupations.............. 20.7 21.3 22.1 19.9 22.4 19.3 21.4
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 1.5 .9 .3 1.9 2.0 2.3 .9
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations................. .2 - - - .4 .3 .3
Construction and extraction occupations.................... .6 - - .1 1.1 1.1 .3
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.......... .8 .8 .3 1.8 .4 .9 .3
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 6.4 5.6 5.8 5.2 5.5 7.8 5.9
Production occupations..................................... 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.3 4.3 4.0
Transportation and material moving occupations............. 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.2 3.5 1.9
NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, the
Gulf War era, and all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and women who never served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Other
service periods include the periods between World War II and the Korean War, between the Korean War and the Vietnam era, and
between the Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed information appears in the Technical Note of this release. Dash
represents or rounds to zero.
Table 4. Employed persons 18 years and over by industry, class of worker, sex, veteran status, and period of service,
2008 annual averages
(Percent distribution)
Gulf War era WW II,
Korean Other Non-
Industry and class of worker Veterans War, and service veterans
Total Gulf War Gulf War Vietnam periods
era I era II era
TOTAL
Total, 18 years and over (in thousands)..................... 11,795 3,782 2,479 1,303 4,492 3,522 131,578
Percent..................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Agriculture and related industries......................... 1.7 .6 .4 1.0 2.9 1.5 1.4
Wage and salary workers.................................. .6 .4 .2 .8 .8 .6 .9
Self-employed workers.................................... 1.1 .2 .1 .2 2.1 .9 .6
Nonagricultural industries................................. 98.3 99.4 99.6 99.0 97.1 98.5 98.6
Wage and salary workers.................................. 90.7 95.8 95.6 96.2 86.2 90.8 92.2
Private industries..................................... 70.6 72.2 72.3 71.9 68.8 71.4 77.9
Mining............................................... .8 1.1 .9 1.5 .7 .7 .5
Construction......................................... 6.5 6.4 6.5 6.1 6.3 6.8 6.0
Manufacturing........................................ 13.8 12.4 13.5 10.5 13.6 15.6 10.5
Wholesale trade...................................... 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.6 3.5 3.0 2.6
Retail trade......................................... 8.7 8.8 7.7 10.9 8.7 8.4 10.7
Transportation and utilities......................... 7.3 7.2 7.8 6.0 7.2 7.6 3.7
Information.......................................... 2.4 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.0 2.3 2.2
Financial activities................................. 4.7 4.5 4.8 3.9 4.9 4.7 6.6
Professional and business services................... 9.2 10.8 10.4 11.5 8.9 7.9 9.1
Education and health services........................ 7.2 7.9 7.8 8.0 6.5 7.3 13.9
Leisure and hospitality.............................. 3.7 4.5 4.1 5.3 3.1 3.6 7.8
Other services....................................... 3.2 2.7 2.8 2.5 3.3 3.6 4.2
Government............................................. 20.0 23.7 23.3 24.3 17.5 19.4 14.4
Federal.............................................. 8.0 11.0 9.5 13.8 6.1 7.2 2.0
State................................................ 4.4 4.9 5.4 3.9 4.3 4.1 4.3
Local................................................ 7.6 7.8 8.4 6.6 7.1 8.1 8.1
Self-employed workers.................................... 7.6 3.6 4.1 2.8 10.8 7.7 6.3
Unpaid family workers.................................... - - - - - - .1
MEN
Total, 18 years and over (in thousands)..................... 10,739 3,256 2,147 1,109 4,349 3,134 65,821
Percent..................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Agriculture and related industries......................... 1.8 .6 .4 1.1 3.0 1.5 2.1
Wage and salary workers.................................. .6 .5 .2 .9 .8 .6 1.3
Self-employed workers.................................... 1.2 .2 .2 .2 2.2 .9 .8
Nonagricultural industries................................. 98.2 99.4 99.6 98.9 97.0 98.5 97.9
Wage and salary workers.................................. 90.2 95.6 95.4 96.0 86.0 90.4 90.5
Private industries..................................... 70.9 72.7 72.7 72.7 68.8 72.0 79.8
Mining............................................... .8 1.2 .9 1.8 .7 .6 .9
Construction......................................... 7.0 7.2 7.3 7.0 6.5 7.4 10.6
Manufacturing........................................ 14.5 13.5 14.6 11.2 13.7 16.7 14.3
Wholesale trade...................................... 3.3 3.0 3.1 2.9 3.6 3.2 3.5
Retail trade......................................... 8.7 9.0 8.0 11.0 8.7 8.4 10.3
Transportation and utilities......................... 7.8 8.0 8.7 6.8 7.3 8.1 5.6
Information.......................................... 2.5 3.2 3.3 3.1 2.0 2.4 2.5
Financial activities................................. 4.6 4.1 4.2 3.8 5.0 4.5 5.4
Professional and business services................... 9.1 10.6 10.1 11.6 8.9 7.8 9.8
Education and health services........................ 5.8 5.8 5.7 6.0 6.0 5.5 5.7
Leisure and hospitality.............................. 3.5 4.1 3.8 4.6 3.0 3.7 7.3
Other services....................................... 3.3 2.9 3.0 2.8 3.3 3.7 3.8
Government............................................. 19.3 22.9 22.7 23.3 17.2 18.5 10.7
Federal.............................................. 7.5 10.4 9.2 12.9 5.9 6.7 1.8
State................................................ 4.3 4.7 5.1 4.0 4.3 4.0 3.3
Local................................................ 7.5 7.7 8.4 6.4 7.0 7.8 5.6
Self-employed workers.................................... 7.9 3.8 4.2 2.9 11.0 8.0 7.4
Unpaid family workers.................................... - - - - - - -
WOMEN
Total, 18 years and over (in thousands)..................... 1,057 526 332 194 143 388 65,757
Percent..................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Agriculture and related industries......................... .6 .2 .1 .2 1.1 1.0 .8
Wage and salary workers.................................. .4 .1 - .2 .9 .5 .4
Self-employed workers.................................... .2 .1 .1 - .3 .5 .3
Nonagricultural industries................................. 99.4 99.8 99.9 99.8 98.9 99.0 99.2
Wage and salary workers.................................. 95.1 97.1 96.8 97.8 92.6 93.3 93.9
Private industries..................................... 67.9 68.8 69.4 67.6 68.2 66.6 75.9
Mining............................................... .6 .4 .7 - - .9 .1
Construction......................................... 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.0 1.6 1.6 1.4
Manufacturing........................................ 6.5 6.2 5.8 7.0 8.0 6.3 6.7
Wholesale trade...................................... 1.4 1.0 1.2 .7 2.0 1.8 1.7
Retail trade......................................... 8.0 7.4 5.8 10.0 8.9 8.5 11.0
Transportation and utilities......................... 2.6 2.0 2.3 1.3 3.6 3.2 1.8
Information.......................................... 1.6 1.7 1.1 2.8 1.9 1.4 1.9
Financial activities................................. 6.1 7.2 8.8 4.6 2.1 6.2 7.7
Professional and business services................... 10.5 12.0 12.7 10.9 8.7 9.0 8.4
Education and health services........................ 21.5 20.8 21.7 19.4 23.1 21.9 22.2
Leisure and hospitality.............................. 5.1 7.0 5.9 9.0 4.4 2.8 8.4
Other services....................................... 2.5 1.5 1.8 1.1 3.9 3.2 4.6
Government............................................. 27.2 28.4 27.3 30.1 24.3 26.7 18.0
Federal.............................................. 12.7 14.3 11.5 19.1 11.4 11.0 2.2
State................................................ 5.5 5.8 7.0 3.8 4.2 5.5 5.3
Local................................................ 9.0 8.2 8.8 7.3 8.7 10.2 10.5
Self-employed workers.................................... 4.3 2.7 3.1 2.1 6.3 5.6 5.2
Unpaid family workers.................................... - - - - - .1 .1
NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, the
Gulf War era, and all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and women who never served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Other
service periods include the periods between World War II and the Korean War, between the Korean War and the Vietnam era, and
between the Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed information appears in the Technical Note of this release. Dash
represents or rounds to zero.
United States Department of Labor
