The Employment Situation of Veterans – July 2020

Overview

Today, August 7th, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that employment rose by 1.8 million in July, and the unemployment rate fell to 10.2 percent. These improvements in the labor market reflected the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. In July, notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, government, retail trade, professional and business services, other services, and health care. [1]  For veterans, unemployment decreased from 8.6 percent in June 2020 to 7.9 percent in July 2020. Post-9/11 veteran unemployment also decreased from 10.3 percent in June 2020 to 8.2 percent in July 2020. This overall trend varies 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 17.3 percent to 26.7 percent unemployment rate in July 2020. During this period, younger veterans were unemployed at a higher rate than their nonveteran peers of the same age group. Of the total 699,000 unemployed veterans ages 18 and over, 18 percent have been unemployed for less than five weeks and 82 percent have been unemployed for five weeks or more. The average length of unemployment is 16.6 weeks (the median is 13.6 weeks).

Female post-9/11 veterans experienced a decrease in unemployment, from 13.7 percent in June 2020 to 7.9 percent in July 2020. By comparison, the unemployment rate for total female veterans (all cohorts) increased to 10.7 percent. Female nonveterans have a higher unemployment rate (11.3 percent) compared to their female veteran counterparts. Total male veteran unemployment (7.5 percent) is slightly lower than the national veteran rate. The post-9/11 male veteran unemployment decreased to 8.3 percent in July 2020.

Black or African American post-9/11 veterans saw a monthly increase in unemployment to 8.1 percent. This rate is lower than the 15.2 percent unemployment rate of their nonveteran counterparts. Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish Origin post-9/11 veterans experienced a monthly decrease in unemployment to 5.2 percent. This rate is lower than the 13.0 percent unemployment rate of their nonveteran counterparts. Asian or Asian American post-9/11 veterans experienced a monthly increase in unemployment to 16.2 percent. This rate is higher than the 12.1 percent unemployment rate of their nonveteran counterparts. 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 August 7, 2020. These are unpublished data from the Current Population Survey, not seasonally adjusted, and represent the period ending July 2020.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR: June 2020 July 2020 CHANGE  (+/-) Annual Averages 2019
All Americans (18 and over) 11.0 10.3 -0.7 3.5
All Veterans 8.6 7.9 -0.7 3.1
Post-9/11 Veterans 10.3 8.2 -2.1 3.5
Gulf-War I Era Veterans 6.0 7.0 +1.0 2.6
WWII, Korean War and Vietnam Era 8.3 8.3 0.0 2.8
All Nonveterans 11.1 10.5 -0.6 3.6

 

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR VETERANS
Demographic Category June 2020 July 2020 CHANGE   (+/-) Annual Averages 2019
18–24 17.3 26.7 +9.4 7.4
25-34 12.3 6.7 -5.6 3.3
35-44 8.6 6.7 -1.9 3.4
45-54 5.9 6.7 +0.8 2.7
55-64 7.9 8.4 +0.5 2.9
65 and older 9.4 8.4 -1.0 2.8
Male 8.5 7.5 -1.0 3.0
Female 9.6 10.7 +1.1 3.7
White, Anglo, Caucasian 8.0 7.4 -0.6 2.8
Black or African American 9.5 9.3 -0.2 4.9
Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish Origin 10.0 6.2 -3.8 2.4
Asian or Asian American 6.9 10.6 +3.7 3.6

 

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR POST-9/11 VETERANS
Demographic Category June 2020 July 2020 CHANGE   (+/-) Annual Averages 2019
18–24 17.3 26.7 +9.4 7.4
25-34 12.3 6.7 -5.6 3.3
35-44 8.7 7.1 -1.6 3.8
45-54 6.3 7.3 +1.0 2.8
55-64 7.3 5.4 -1.9 2.5
65 and older 54.5 23.0 -31.5 2.1
Male 9.8 8.3 -1.5 3.4
Female 13.7 7.9 -5.8 4.7
White, Anglo, Caucasian 9.8 7.1 -2.7 3.0
Black or African American 6.7 8.1 +1.4 6.8
Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish Origin 12.7 5.2 -7.5 3.2
Asian or Asian American 10.8 16.2 +5.4 3.9

 

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR NONVETERANS
Demographic Category June 2020 July 2020 Difference Annual Averages 2019
18–24 20.7 18.2 -2.5 7.8
25-34 11.7 11.7 0.0 3.7
35-44 9.0 8.3 -0.7 2.7
45-54 8.5 8.1 -0.4 2.7
55-64 9.4 8.9 -0.5 2.6
65 and older 11.0 9.6 -1.4 3.0
Male 10.6 9.7 -0.9 3.7
Female 11.7 11.3 -0.4 3.5
White, Anglo, Caucasian 10.1 9.4 -0.7 3.2
Black or African American 15.6 15.2 -0.4 5.9
Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish Origin 14.5 13.0 -1.5 4.2
Asian or Asian American 14.0 12.1 -1.9 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

[1] https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm