Why employment is only half the battle for America’s veterans 

Although the unemployment rate for veterans is lower than that for non-veterans, only half of them still have jobs. After years spent training for combat and deploying to combat zones, most ex-military personnel still struggle to find fulfillment in civilian work environments.

“When you join the military, you have a very specific reason. And when you’re there, whether it’s 4 years or 34 years, you have your mission, you have your team, you have your camaraderie, you have your own There’s a very clear purpose to what you’re doing,” Waco Hoover, a Marine Corps veteran and committee chairman, told The Hill about the American Legion’s “Be the One” program.

“When you migrate, all of that isn’t immediately available. And it’s not there.”

Veteran unemployment rates in the United States are at record lows. Ministry of Labor report As of February, the unemployment rate for veterans was just 3%, compared to 3.6% for non-veterans.

However, veterans’ job satisfaction is much lower than the general population.a Hill and Ponton 2021 PollThe Veterans Disability Law Office found that veterans are more than five times more likely than non-veterans to say they are dissatisfied with their current job.

One sign of this trend is high turnover among veteran recruits, “and the reason for that is purpose,” Huber said.

a CareerBuilder survey conducted last year We found that 22 percent of veterans report feeling “underemployed.”

“One of the first frustrating things for transitioning service members is that they are so young in the military (first, second, third year) and yet they have so much responsibility.” said Jeffrey Wenger, the newspaper’s senior economist. RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization.

“And then you get out of the military and someone tells you to stock the shelves. And you think, ‘I could do more than this.'”

Another source of dissatisfaction among veterans appears to be career advancement. According to Hill and Ponton’s research, more than one in four veterans believe there is no chance of advancement in their current job.

“In the private sector, it takes years to get promoted,” Wenger said.

But both governments and nonprofit organizations are focusing more on helping veterans find fulfilling careers than just helping them find jobs.

Bengel pointed to continued efforts at the federal and state levels to increase public awareness of veterans’ skills and experiences and the programs offered after separation.

“I think we’ve done a better job of helping them transition into the civilian labor market,” Wenger said. “We now offer a program that provides training at the end of their working years on how to talk about the skills they have developed.”

The Department of Labor offers programs designed to help veterans transition, train, and advance into civilian careers. Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Various programs have been set up to provide additional training to veterans prior to retirement and produce more marketable candidates.

However, whether these programs work remains an open question.

“I would say one of the things that has become pretty clear overall with the transition is the complete lack of real-world, valuable experience that comes from the transition and the TAP program,” said the American Legion. said Nicole Tardif, public relations manager.

“It’s seen as a check-box kind of thing, similar to how the program is set up, where you’re not really learning or preparing for civilian society; , you’re just checking a box to see if you took the class you should have done right before you left,” Tardif added.

“When you actually move into the civilian world, you don’t have to think too much ahead of time.”

The Department of Labor told The Hill it is addressing these concerns. The Employment Navigator and Partnership Program is a new initiative that provides “one-on-one career assistance to interested transitioning service members and their spouses at select military installations around the world.” According to the Ministry of Labor.

Hoover said there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to career transitions for veterans. Changing career paths is difficult in any case, but veterans face unique challenges.

“You’re with a group of humans who are, in many ways, your team and your family. And depending on the time you spend there and the nature of your work, the connections can be incredibly deep.” said Hoover about life in the military.

“When you go outside, the same dynamics don’t exist,” he added.

Hoover noted that the challenges and opportunities faced by service members retiring in their 20s will be vastly different than those in their 30s and 40s.

“We need to make sure those programs are for those individuals,” he said.

And military members should start preparing for their post-service careers while still on active duty.

“If you start with the end in mind, whether it’s four years or 20 years or whatever, recognizing that along the way… gives you more perspective on what they want to do. It helps you hold and process,” he said.

“We don’t just give them information; we give them the tools to self-reflect and figure out what they want to do after they serve.”

Coach Wenger encouraged veterans to manage their expectations and take advantage of the tight labor market to explore and find a career that is right for them.

“[As a veteran], You don’t have to accept the first job offer that comes your way. I have a little more choice about what I want to do,” Wenger said. “And, you know, we can force employers to give you more responsibility, or at least to better accommodate your wishes.”