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Unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans 5.8 percent in 2015

March 28, 2016

The unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans was 5.8 percent in 2015, 1.4 percentage points lower than in 2014. Gulf War-era II veterans served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces any time since September 2001. In 2015, there were 3.6 million veterans who had served during Gulf War era II. Eighteen percent were women, compared with about 4 percent of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era. Nearly half of all Gulf War-era II veterans were ages 25 to 34.

 

 

Unemployment rates of Gulf War-era II veterans and nonveterans, 2015 annual averages
Age and gender Gulf War-era II veterans Nonveterans

Total, 18 years and older

5.8% 5.2%

Men, 18 years and older

5.7 5.3

18 to 24 years

13.6 12.0

25 to 34 years

6.8 5.4

35 to 44 years

3.8 4.0

45 to 54 years

2.6 3.7

55 to 64 years

4.3 3.8

Women, 18 years and older

6.4 5.0

18 to 24 years

10.7 9.7

25 to 34 years

6.8 5.5

35 to 44 years

5.4 4.3

45 to 54 years

4.6 3.8

55 to 64 years

- 3.6

Dash indicates data are not available.

Among Gulf War-era II veterans, the unemployment rate for men (5.7 percent) was not statistically different from the rate for women (6.4 percent) in 2015.

The unemployment rate for male Gulf War-era II veterans (5.7 percent) was little different from the rate for male nonveterans (5.3 percent) in 2015. For most age groups, unemployment rates of male veterans and nonveterans were not statistically different. Among men ages 25 to 34, Gulf War-era II veterans had a higher unemployment rate (6.8 percent) than did nonveterans (5.4 percent). Among men ages 45 to 54, however, Gulf War-era II veterans had a lower unemployment rate (2.6 percent) than did nonveterans (3.7 percent).

Among women, the unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans (6.4 percent) was not statistically different from the rate for nonveterans (5.0 percent) in 2015. Unemployment rates for female veterans and nonveterans were similar in each age group.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. To learn more, see "Employment Situation of Veterans — 2015" (HTML) (PDF). Veterans are men and women who previously served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and were civilians when they were surveyed. People on active duty at the time of the survey are outside the scope of the survey. Gulf War-era II veterans served anywhere in the world at any time since September 2001. Nonveterans are men and women who never served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. More information about veterans is available from the Current Population Survey.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans 5.8 percent in 2015 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/unemployment-rate-for-gulf-war-era-2-veterans-5-point-8-percent-in-2015.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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