Read

Mission Transition: Creating Employment Opportunities for Post-9/11 Veterans and Military Families

This week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program and the George W. Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative hosted Mission Transition, a national summit focused on creating employment opportunities for post-9/11 veterans and military families. During the summit, we will release a first of its kind roadmap designed to help returning members of our military overcome obstacles as they search for meaningful employment in the civilian workforce.

Since 9/11, more than 2.5 million Americans have worn the uniform, and over the next five years more than 1 million service members will transition out of the military and into civilian life. They have faced down our enemies, protected our country, and demonstrated the courage, resilience, and adaptability that are hallmarks of the American military. Our businesses and communities need their leadership, experience, and character, but the transition to civilian life and employment can bring new challenges.

The nature of all-volunteer military service during a time of extended conflict results in a civilian-military divide. 71% of Americans say they have little understanding of the issues facing post-9/11 veterans. And veterans agree: 84% say that the public has “little awareness” of the issues facing them and their families.

The impact that divide has on transition is significant. This enduring civilian-military divide adversely impacts national security, global competitiveness and our moral and social obligation to our veterans. Yet it also is seen in the difficulty that veterans and their families have in finding meaningful employment and enduring careers. And it is manifested in the difficulty businesses have in finding, hiring, and retaining veterans and military spouses in order to improve their businesses.

While each service member must be responsible for their own transition, and every warrior’s path home will look different, if they are committed to continuing to contribute to their communities and families the way they contributed to their country, then we owe it to them to offer our help.
 

Post-9/11 Veteran Employment Situation

A collective effort across federal agencies, private industry, and non-profit organizations, combined with strong support from the American people has brought national attention and resources to the issue.

Veteran Employment by the Numbers
 

Approximately one out of two (53%) of separating post-9/11 veterans will face a period of unemployment.

Average duration of unemployment is 28 weeks for post-9/11, and the average 22 weeks in Unemployment Compensation Data (UCX) usage.

The U.S. government made over $4.8 billion in UCX payments to veterans between 2009-2014.

On average over 200,000 military service members will transition to the civilian sector each year.

Veteran employment has been concentrated in business sectors with low projected growth.

This collective effort is paying off, and we see that in improved hiring and employment rates. A slow but steady economic recovery has also improved the job outlook for all veterans. As the overall unemployment rate dropped from 9.1% in 2009 to 6% in 2014, the overall veteran population unemployment dropped from 8.1 to 5.3%.

Post-9/11 veteran unemployment also fell from 10.2 % to 7.2%. Whereas veteran median income is below the non-veteran median income of $42,317, post-9/11 veterans attain 11% higher median earnings than non-veterans with similar demographic characteristics.

Once finally employed, post-9/11 veterans perform well and are compensated better than their non-veteran peers. A CEB study also confirmed that veterans are better for business than non-veterans, with higher retention rates and productivity ratios.

Post-9/11 veterans, however, have broadly experienced greater difficulty with securing and sustaining civilian employment than their non-veteran peers. While there has been significant progress in addressing veterans’ unemployment, the accompanying charts show challenges remain.

Now is an important moment to shift from a “crisis contingency response” (which has been impactful, but may not be sustainable) to a more deliberate, focused and sustained effort. We must also leverage the important lessons and best practices as we address the gaps that remain and focus our effort going forward.

Across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, leaders agree important lessons learned, remaining challenges and important next steps include:

  • A focus on retention of those who have been, and will be hired.
  • Development of skills and abilities for transitioning service members and veterans prior to hiring and after being hired.
  • Institutionalize coalitions and public-private-nonprofit partnerships, particularly earlier in the transition process.
  • Expand hiring efforts, practices and programs to downstream supply companies and into local communities.
  • Focus veteran hiring where there are human capital gaps, job growth and opportunity and business needs, particularly in the STEM field.
  • Businesses institutionalize mentality, culture, systems and leader/manager training for veteran hiring and retention.
  • Develop and share data and metrics for hiring, retention and performance. Use that data to inform veteran hiring efforts.
  • Focus veteran hiring efforts on enlisted, non-degree/certification holding, and under age of 35.
  • Sustain attention, resourcing and effort on this issue, and continue the narrative of veterans as business assets.
     

By focusing on these areas in the coming year, and beyond, we will enable a generation of resourceful, determined and experienced leaders for our businesses for generations to come.
 

The Veteran Employment Transition (VET) Roadmap

Veterans themselves play the most critical role in this process. A successful transition is an individual responsibility that requires understanding, planning, and deliberate execution – something familiar to everyone who has worn the uniform.

Veterans and Unemployment
 

The top predictors of post-9/11 veteran unemployment are: rank, age, education level (or certification) and geography.

Separating enlisted veterans make up the majority of the unemployed veterans in the U.S., and 90% of separating military will be enlisted.

71% of all unemployed post-9/11 vets are under the age of 35