Focus_ Veteran Employment Rates on the Rise According to Recent Statistics

1. Over the last several years, we have witnessed important changes in the employment markets that uniquely affect certain groups of Americans, and military members are chief among them. Veterans have been finding brighter employment horizons of late, as evidenced by the rising sorties into jobs. Recent data suggests we're in the bullseye of a tipping point: for more veterans, across a wider scope of industries than ever before. This is a very good upward trend, specifically for organizations such as WorldVeterans who are spearheading positive life and professional career changes for former military personnel re- integrating themselves into the civilian sector. Understanding the Trend A large part of the reason why something like veteran employment is improving in this country is a more concerted effort from both public and private sectors that are providing resources that help to cater these services toward helping veterans. There are increasingly better solutions to reintegrate veterans into the civilian workforce with programs that include job markets and placement such as those provided by the vocational rehab & employment services. More awareness of the leadership, discipline, and teamwork skills that veterans offer has also led to greater interest among employers in recruiting from this segment. Second, with incentives such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) companies also get tax breaks for hiring veterans which creates a better reason for choosing that particular type of hire(IRS). In combination, these interventions have contributed to the positive trends in veteran employment along with the improvement of the economy. Spotlight on Opportunities With demand for talent across sectors on the rise, industries are increasingly looking to veterans to answer the clarion call. As evidenced by the greater number of veterans finding jobs, employers are becoming more aware of the specific traits and experiences that

2. veterans offer. Technology, healthcare, logistics, and government contracting are some of the sectors that especially welcome veterans with open arms offering not just jobs but room to grow in your career. This is further complemented by an increasing number of resources for veterans. There are more and more organizations committed specifically to improving veteran employment: veterans mentorship programs; and career fairs just for veterans - all designed to bridge the divide between a life in service, and one on civvy street. Numerically, yes a win but may be more important - in terms of veteran resiliency and adaptability to take hold of new-path civil career-wise. Veterans are supported by strong safety nets and, with the increasing realization of their value to employers, this improvement in employment rate is bound to stay on course. While we celebrate that growth in veteran employment, it is important to help continue the trends and deal with any challenges. Our collective future progress (such as it is) presents quite a model of what targeted effort can achieve with respect to workforce integration for veterans. References - National Conference of State Legislatures http://www.ncsl.org/research/military-and-veterans-affairs/veterans-employment- initiatives.aspx - Internal Revenue Service https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/work-opportunity-tax-credit