Overview
Today, May 8, 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that employment fell by 20.5 million in April 2020, and the unemployment rate rose to 14.7 percent. The changes in these measures reflect the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employment fell sharply in all major industry sectors, with heavy job losses in leisure and hospitality1. For veterans, total veteran unemployment increased from 4.1 percent to 11.7 in the same period. Post-9/11 veteran unemployment increased from 4.1 percent in March to 13.0 percent in April 2020. This overall trend has increased for the different veteran demographic factors, however, some more than others.
With respect to age, the youngest cohort of post 9/11 veterans (ages 18-24) increased from 4.9 percent to 36.1 percent unemployment rate in April 2020. During this period, younger veterans were unemployed at a higher rate than their nonveteran peers of the same age group. Of the total 1,050,000 unemployed veterans ages 18 and over, 54 percent have been unemployed for less than five weeks and 46 percent have been unemployed for five weeks or more.
Female post-9/11 veterans experienced an increase in unemployment, from 6.2 percent in March 2020 to 20.0 percent in April 2020. By comparison, the unemployment rate for total female veterans (all cohorts) increased to 14.0 percent. The unemployment rate of 15.5 percent reported for nonveteran females falls between these two figures. Total male veteran unemployment (11.4 percent) is slightly lower than the national veteran rate. The post-9/11 male veteran unemployment increased to 11.8 percent in April 2020.
African American post-9/11 veterans saw a monthly increase in unemployment to 16.5 percent. This rate is slightly higher than the 16.3 percent unemployment rate of their nonveteran African American counterparts. Hispanic post-9/11 veterans experienced a monthly increase in unemployment, to 15.7 percent. Readers should be cautioned, however, that data on specific veteran subgroups can vary widely from month to month
Demographics & Trends
The following tables summarize the employment situation of veterans in America based on BLS data released on May 8, 2020. These are unpublished data from the Current Population Survey, not seasonally adjusted, and represent the period ending April 2020.
| UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR: | March 2020 | April 2020 | CHANGE (+/-) | Annual Averages 2019 |
| All Americans (18 and over) | 4.4 | 14.3 | + 9.9 | 3.5 |
| All Veterans | 4.1 | 11.7 | + 7.6 | 3.1 |
| Post-9/11 Veterans | 4.1 | 13.0 | + 8.9 | 3.5 |
| Gulf-War I Era Veterans | 3.2 | 7.1 | + 3.9 | 2.6 |
| WWII, Korean War and Vietnam Era | 4.1 | 17.0 | + 12.9 | 2.8 |
| All Nonveterans | 4.4 | 14.4 | + 10.0 | 3.6 |
| UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR VETERANS | ||||
| Demographic Category | March 2020 | April 2020 | CHANGE (+/-) | Annual Averages 2019 |
| 18–24 | 4.9 | 36.1 | + 31.2 | 7.4 |
| 25-34 | 5.8 | 13.8 | + 8.0 | 3.3 |
| 35-44 | 3.9 | 8.2 | + 4.3 | 3.4 |
| 45-54 | 3.1 | 9.6 | + 6.5 | 2.7 |
| 55-64 | 4.0 | 9.9 | + 5.9 | 2.9 |
| 65 and older | 4.1 | 16.1 | – | 2.8 |
| Male | 4.0 | 11.4 | + 7.4 | 3.0 |
| Female | 4.0 | 11.4 | + 7.4 | 3.0 |
| White, Anglo, Caucasian | 3.9 | 10.8 | + 6.9 | 2.8 |
| Black, African American | 5.0 | 14.2 | + 9.2 | 4.9 |
| Hispanic, Latino/a | 5.8 | 12.9 | + 7.1 | 2.4 |
| Asian | – | 2.9 | – | 3.6 |
| UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR POST-9/11 VETERANS | ||||
| Demographic Category | March 2020 | April 2020 | CHANGE (+/-) | Annual Averages 2019 |
| 18–24 | 4.9 | 36.1 | + 31.2 | 7.4 |
| 25-34 | 5.8 | 13.8 | + 8.0 | 3.3 |
| 35-44 | 3.1 | 7.9 | + 4.8 | 3.8 |
| 45-54 | 3.5 | 16.4 | + 12.9 | 2.8 |
| 55-64 | 1.5 | 6.2 | + 4.7 | 2.5 |
| 65 and older | – | 44.0 | – | 2.1 |
| Male | 3.7 | 11.8 | + 8.1 | 3.4 |
| Female | 6.2 | 20.0 | + 13.8 | 4.7 |
| White, Anglo, Caucasian | 4.4 | 11.4 | + 7.0 | 3.0 |
| Black, African American | 2.8 | 16.5 | + 13.7 | 6.8 |
| Hispanic, Latino/a | 6.9 | 15.7 | + 8.8 | 3.2 |
| Asian | – | 1.8 | – | 3.9 |
| UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR NONVETERANS | ||||
| Demographic Category | March 2020 | April 2020 | CHANGE (+/-) | Annual Averages 2019 |
| 18–24 | 9.3 | 26.4 | + 17.1 | 7.8 |
| 25-34 | 4.4 | 14.4 | + 10.0 | 3.7 |
| 35-44 | 3.6 | 11.4 | + 7.8 | 2.7 |
| 45-54 | 3.4 | 12.3 | + 8.9 | 2.7 |
| 55-64 | 3.4 | 12.8 | + 9.4 | 2.6 |
| 65 and older | 3.6 | 15.4 | + 11.8 | 3.0 |
| Male | 4.8 | 13.4 | + 8.6 | 3.7 |
| Female | 4.1 | 15.5 | + 11.4 | 3.5 |
| White, Anglo, Caucasian | 3.9 | 13.9 | + 10.0 | 3.2 |
| Black, African American | 6.9 | 16.3 | + 9.4 | 5.9 |
| Hispanic, Latino/a | 6.1 | 18.5 | + 12.4 | 4.2 |
| Asian | 4.1 | 14.5 | + 10.4 | 2.6 |
NOTE: Although the BLS reports the national average for those 16 and over, the tables above include only those that are 18 and over to make a more accurate comparison to the veteran population. Post-9/11 are of the Gulf War Era II (September 2001-present). Other periods of service include Gulf War Era I (August 1990-August 2001), Vietnam Era (August 1964-April 1975), Korean War (July 1950-January 1955), World War II (December 1941-December 1946). Veterans who served in more than one wartime period are classified only in the most recent one. Veterans who served during one of the selected wartime periods and another peacetime period are classified only in the wartime period. The minority-by-gender unemployment rates are not displayed due to small sample size and are more appropriately displayed as annual averages.