(syracuse.va.gov)
For many returning veterans, the next fight is to get a job.
And the recession, say some veterans’ advocates, has hurt even those veterans who had been in the workforce.
“Veterans were wearing ties and shirts,” said Gordon Sclar, a spokesman for the Syracuse VA. “Now they’re at the food bank.”
Government statistics show that the unemployment rate is often higher for veterans than for others. Consider these numbers:
- Of the nation’s 22.7 million veterans in 2010, reported the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 850,000 were unemployed. That’s 12.1 percent unemployment among veterans compared to 8.6 percent for the population overall
- In New York state in 2010, unemployment for its 950,400 veterans was 14.6 percent, compared to a general unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, according to the state labor department.
- In Onondaga County in 2009, unemployment for the 315,000 local veterans was about 7 percent, compared to 7.8 percent for the entire county, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment is often higher for veterans, say experts, because of many factors. Some veterans lack education to get them civilian jobs. Some are in school under the G.I. Bill and are unconsidered unemployed while they’re pursuing an education. Some are too young to have much experience. And some veterans, says one advocate, may even face reluctance from employers.
Some employers have a hard time understanding military skills and how they can benefit from them, said Bill Woods, the Syracuse VA’s director of vocational rehabilitation and employment services. And some employers, he said, may worry that returning veterans may be traumatized from their combat experiences and unstable.
“I also think there’s some fear on the part of employers,” Wood said. “They don’t want to admit it.”
For young veterans, they might not have any prior work experience besides delivering pizza, Wood said. “A lot of veterans, younger vets, do not know how to pursue employment as effectively as they could,” he said.
To help veterans locally, the Syracuse VA sponsored a job fair in October. It drew 500 people and 36 employers. From the fair, at least 20 veterans new jobs. For January, the Syracuse VA is partnering with CNY Central for a much larger job fair at the New York State Fairgrounds.
To help veterans nationally, the Obama Administration and Congress on Veterans Day in November created a new jobs program. It includes:
- Tax incentives for business who hire veterans.
- A veterans’ jobs bank where companies can post jobs specifically for veterans and veterans can find other resources. That’s at www.nrd.gov.
- A gold card that gives veterans access to services at government-run career centers. Veterans can download the card at www.dol.gov/vets/goldcard.html. Services include personalized case management, assessments, and counseling at One-Stop Career centers.
Many employers practice “good-will” toward veterans, said Wood of the Syracuse VA. And the government’s new veterans’ initiatives, Wood said, give employers more reason to hire veterans.
“They don’t hurt,” Wood said. “They’re icing on the cake.”
(Caitlin Francis is a graduate student in broadcast and digital journalism.)
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