Unemployment dips for younger veterans - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Unemployment dips for younger veterans

For the second month in a row, the unemployment rate has dropped for Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans.

The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the national unemployment rate fell slightly from 8.9 percent in February to 8.8 percent in March. This marks the 13th month of overall growth in jobs, although the increases remain small.

The overall unemployment rate for all veterans in March fell to 9 percent, and to 10.9 percent for veterans who have served on active duty since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The 10.9 percent jobless rate for current-era veterans is a dramatic improvement; their rate had spiked to 15.2 percent as recently as January, and has been declining since.

The March numbers show a large disparity between male and female veterans who separated from service since 2001: an unemployment rate of 11.6 for men but only 7.5 percent for women.