One of the most important obligations our country has to its people is to take care of those who take care of our freedom, namely our veterans. For too long, veterans have given of themselves freely to our nation, only to find that there is little to come home to in the way of jobs, and a stable life.
According to the May 3, 2019 report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) household survey, veteran unemployment fell to 2.3 percent, an all-time low since the number began tracking in 2000.
Everyone should play a part in helping this all-important cause. That’s why I decided to launch 1US.com, which is a completely free site that helps veterans find jobs. The site allows veterans to post their video resume, as well as find jobs in an array of industries including Transportation, Security, Marketing, Accounting, Technology, Consulting, and so much more.
It is a joy to see the broader economy improve, as we’ve seen the overall employment rate drop to 3.6 percent, marking the 14th consecutive month being under 4 percent. We’ve also seen unemployment fall significantly for adult women (20+) down to 3.1 percent, the lowest since 1953. Also other groups such as African Americans and Hispanics have seen tremendous gains. What many people forget is that many of our best veterans are women, African-Americans, and Hispanics, all of whom are big contributors to our economy.
Combine the low unemployment across the board with strong GDP growth, and you have the right conditions to really improve the lives of hard working veterans.
However, even though veteran unemployment has dropped, veterans deal with a variety of issues when they reintegrate into civilian life. Many of our veterans come back with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as physical and other impairments which can impede on their ability to find meaningful employment.
Despite any limitations, Veterans have an amazing amount to offer any employer. Most veterans have millions of dollars of training invested into them by our military, all of which can be properly deployed into the private sector. What’s great to see is that the unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities feel all the way to 6.4 percent in April, the lowest rate since 2008.
Personally, I’ve employed veterans at my orthodontic office and will continue to do so as long as I own a business. It is one of my proudest professional accomplishments is to able to give back to those who have given so much for our nation.