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The jobless rate for all veterans edged down, from 7.0 percent in 2012 to 6.6 percent in 2013. Among all veterans, the unemployment rate for women declined to 6.9 percent in 2013. The rate for male veterans edged down to 6.5 percent.
The unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans (veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time since September 2001) also edged down, from 9.9 percent in 2012 to 9.0 percent in 2013.
Unemployment rates of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, and sex, 2006–2013 annual averages
Year
All veterans
Gulf War era II
Gulf War era I
WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era
Other service periods
Nonveterans
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
Total
Men
Women
2006
3.8
3.7
5.2
6.5
6.4
7.1
3.8
3.5
5.1
3.2
3.2
4.4
3.9
3.7
4.9
4.4
4.5
4.4
2007
3.8
3.7
4.8
6.1
5.6
9.1
3.5
3.5
3.9
3.4
3.4
2.6
3.7
3.6
4.4
4.4
4.6
4.3
2008
4.6
4.6
5.2
7.3
7.1
8.9
4.0
3.8
5.5
4.2
4.3
3.2
4.6
4.6
3.8
5.6
6.0
5.2
2009
8.1
8.1
8.0
10.2
9.9
11.5
7.6
7.7
7.1
7.5
7.6
5.4
8.3
8.4
7.5
9.1
10.3
7.8
2010
8.7
8.8
7.9
11.5
11.4
12.0
7.7
7.8
6.5
8.3
8.4
5.5
8.4
8.6
7.0
9.4
10.5
8.4
2011
8.3
8.3
9.1
12.1
12.0
12.4
7.0
7.1
6.3
7.6
7.6
7.9
8.0
7.9
9.4
8.7
9.3
8.2
2012
7.0
6.9
8.3
9.9
9.5
12.5
5.9
5.6
8.0
6.4
6.4
4.1
6.7
6.8
6.2
7.9
8.1
7.7
2013
6.6
6.5
6.9
9.0
8.8
9.6
5.6
5.7
5.3
6.5
6.5
6.8
5.7
5.7
6.1
7.2
7.5
6.8
Note: Veterans are men and women who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and were not on active duty at the time of the survey. Nonveterans never served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. Veterans could have served anywhere in the world during these periods of service: 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), and other service periods (all other time periods). Veterans are counted in only one period of service, their most recent wartime period. Veterans who served in more than one wartime period are classified in the most recent one. Veterans who served in both a wartime period and any other service period are classified in the wartime period.
The unemployment rate for male Gulf War-era II veterans (8.8 percent) was higher than the rate for male nonveterans (7.5 percent) in 2013. Among women, the unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans (9.6 percent) was also higher in 2013 than the rate for nonveterans (6.8 percent).
In 2013, the unemployment rates for male and female Gulf War-era I veterans (who served between August 1990 and August 2001) were 5.7 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively, lower than the rates for their Gulf War-era II veteran counterparts (8.8 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively). These differences in the unemployment rates reflect, at least in part, the older age profile of veterans who served during Gulf War era I. Younger workers—whether veterans or nonveterans—are more likely to be unemployed than older workers. Unemployment rates of Gulf War era I veterans were little different from their nonveteran counterparts of the same age and gender.
In 2013, the unemployment rate of veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam Era (nearly all of whom were men) was 6.5 percent, about the same as in 2012.
These data are from the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of households that provides information on employment and unemployment in the United States. For more information, see "Employment Situation of Veterans — 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-14-0434.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rate for veterans edges down in 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140325.htm (visited April 29, 2025).
United States Department of Labor
