Latest Unemployment Figures

This from the VA:

"The BLS employment statistics were released today.  Attached is our ‘cheat sheet’ for your use and information.  We have also included the 2nd quarter 2015 statistic report. The national unemployment rate decreased from 5.5% to 5.3% and the Veteran unemployment numbers decreased from 5.0% to 4.4%.  Thanks to all of you who are working directly or indirectly, to ensure our Veterans have meaningful employment."

Let's take a look at the details.

This chart shows the last twelve months unemployment rate by month.  Civilians are the blue line, all male veterans the red line, all male era I (Desert Storm) the green line, and post 9/11 male veterans purple.

Male Unemployment Comparison Chart

Note the overall downward trend of the post 9/11 male veterans.  This is a good thing and kudo's to all who have worked to bring this trend about.  We have to stay vigilant, however because when the twelve month average is considered, post 9/11 male veterans remain much higher than non veterans, and double the rate of Desert Storm veterans.

Male Unemployment twelve month average comparison

Females are a different story, with a sharp dip to the good but then a return back to the levels of a year ago.  This is a very small population segment, a few numbers skew the ratio.

Female Unemployment Comparison Chart

Overall this month a post 9/11 veteran is 18.5% more likely to be unemployed than a non-veteran.  On a twelve month average, 37.75% more likely unemployed.  The trend is going the right way, keep it up!

v/r  Karl

October Veteran Unemployment Statistics

Last week the VA released the latest veteran unemployment statistics.

"As with the first Friday of every month, the BLS employment statistics were released today.  Attached is our ‘cheat sheet’ for your use and information.  The national unemployment rate went down from 5.9% to 5.8% while the Veteran unemployment numbers went from 4.7% to 4.5%. Thanks to all of you who are working directly or indirectly, to ensure our Veterans have meaningful employment."

Each month I go directly to the Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics website and pull the raw numbers, which I then put into an Excel spreadsheet.  To me the picture isn't quite as positive as the above quote from the VA which shows veteran unemployment significantly lower than the national rate.

Here's the problem.  Veterans from Gulf War Era I (meaning Desert Storm) have a 2.8% unemployment rate, down from 3.2% last month.  Veterans from Gulf War Era II (post 9/11) have a 7.2% unemployment rate, up from 6.2% last month but down from 10% a year ago.  

The Gulf War Era I veteran rate drives the entire veteran unemployment rate down significantly - and overshadows the high unemployment rate of those carrying the greatest burden now - the post 9/11 veteran.

How's this for a VA unemployment status report:  The unemployment rate for non-veterans dropped to 5.4% this month, and the overall veteran rate dropped to 4.5%.  However the post 9/11 veteran unemployment rate is rising again, now to 7.2%.

And oh by the way, the unemployment rate for post 9/11 female veterans is over 11%.

The graphs below help show the true picture.  

In the month of October:

• the unemployment rate for all veterans is 20% lower than a civilian
• the unemployment rate for a Desert Storm vet is 93% lower than a civilian
• the unemployment rate for a post 9/11 vet is 25% higher than a civilian

Now about that Veteran unemployment thing...

Haven't heard much talk about this, have you?

Last month veteran unemployment numbers took a turn for the worse, with post 9/11 Veterans jumping to levels near a year ago.

While the female non-veteran dropped to almost nothing, all female veteran numbers jumped the wrong way.  These are small numbers (unless you're one) but there is a defined trend since December of female veteran unemployment worsening.

Since August, all male unemployment trends have been positive.  In June however it took a serious jump negative.

This chart shows the populations against themselves the same time last year, and last month.  With rare exception, post 9/11 (shown here as GW Era II) stays significantly higher than any other population.

On a twelve month average, a post 9/11 veteran is 36% more likely to be unemployed than a person who never served.

A veteran who is trying to transition on his or her own, isolated physically and emotionally from their peers have a much more difficult time transitioning that does a veteran connected within a local network, especially if that network consists of veterans just like them, and previously successfully transitioned.  If you are transitioning, register at www.gallantfew.org for a local connection.  If you already successfully transitioned and are ready to pass that experience and knowledge along, register at www.gallantfew.org to be that local connection.