Overview

Today, July 2nd, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that employment rose by 4.8 million in June, and the unemployment rate fell to 11.1 percent. These improvements in the labor market reflected the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In June, employment in leisure and hospitality rose sharply. Notable job gains also occurred in retail trade, education and health services, other services, manufacturing, and professional and business services.[1] For veterans, unemployment decreased from 9.0 percent in May 2020 to 8.6 percent in June 2020. Post-9/11 veteran unemployment stayed the same at 10.3 percent. The veteran unemployment trend varies, however, by different demographic factors.  

With respect to age, the youngest cohort of post 9/11 veterans (ages 18-24) decreased from 23.9 percent to 17.3 percent unemployment rate in June 2020. During this period, younger veterans were unemployed at a slightly lower rate than their nonveteran peers of the same age group. Of the total 776,000 unemployed veterans ages 18 and over, 19 percent have been unemployed for less than five weeks and 81 percent have been unemployed for five weeks or more. The average length of unemployment is 15.3 weeks (the median is 11.7 weeks).

Female post-9/11 veterans experienced an increase in unemployment, from 10.1 percent in May 2020 to 13.7 percent in June 2020. By comparison, the unemployment rate for total female veterans (all cohorts) increased to 9.6 percent. Female nonveterans have a higher unemployment rate (11.7 percent) compared to their female veteran counterparts but lower unemployment rate when compared to female post-9/11 veterans. Total male veteran unemployment (8.5 percent) is slightly lower than the national veteran rate. The post-9/11 male veteran unemployment decreased to 9.8 percent in June 2020.

African American post-9/11 veterans saw a monthly decrease in unemployment to 6.7 percent. This rate is lower than the 15.6 percent unemployment rate of their nonveteran counterparts. Hispanic post-9/11 veterans experienced a monthly increase in unemployment to 12.7 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 July 2, 2020. These are unpublished data from the Current Population Survey, not seasonally adjusted, and represent the period ending June 2020.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR:	May 2020	June 2020	CHANGE  (+/-)	Annual Averages 2019
All Americans (18 and over)	12.8	11.0	-1.8	3.5
All Veterans	9.0	8.6	-0.4	3.1
Post-9/11 Veterans	10.3	10.3	0.0	3.5
Gulf-War I Era Veterans	4.8	6.0	+1.2	2.6
WWII, Korean War and Vietnam Era	11.9	8.3	-3.6	2.8
All Nonveterans	13.0	11.1	-1.9	3.6

 

	UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR VETERANS
Demographic Category	May 2020	June 2020	CHANGE   (+/-)	Annual Averages 2019
18–24	23.9	17.3	-6.6	7.4
25-34	13.3	12.3	-1.0	3.3
35-44	7.1	8.6	+1.5	3.4
45-54	6.6	5.9	-0.7	2.7
55-64	7.6	7.9	+0.3	2.9
65 and older	11.0	9.4	-1.6	2.8
Male	9.1	8.5	-0.6	3.0
Female	7.8	9.6	+1.8	3.7
White, Anglo, Caucasian	8.4	8.0	-0.4	2.8
Black, African American	9.2	9.5	+0.3	4.9
Hispanic, Latino/a	9.6	10.0	+0.4	2.4
Asian	8.1	6.9	-1.2	3.6

 

	UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR POST-9/11 VETERANS
Demographic Category	May 2020	June 2020	CHANGE   (+/-)	Annual Averages 2019
18–24	23.9	17.3	–6.6	7.4
25-34	13.3	12.3	-1.0	3.3
35-44	8.4	8.7	+0.3	3.8
45-54	6.0	6.3	+0.3	2.8
55-64	6.5	7.3	+0.8	2.5
65 and older	–	54.5	–	2.1
Male	10.4	9.8	-0.6	3.4
Female	10.1	13.7	+3.6	4.7
White, Anglo, Caucasian	9.7	9.8	+0.1	3.0
Black, African American	7.7	6.7	-1.0	6.8
Hispanic, Latino/a	12.2	12.7	+0.5	3.2
Asian	5.8	10.8	+5.0	3.9

 

	UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR NONVETERANS
Demographic Category	May 2020	June 2020	Difference	Annual Averages 2019
18–24	24.6	20.7	-3.9	7.8
25-34	13.1	11.7	-1.4	3.7
35-44	10.0	9.0	-1.0	2.7
45-54	10.7	8.5	-2.2	2.7
55-64	11.2	9.4	-1.8	2.6
65 and older	13.5	11.0	-2.5	3.0
Male	11.9	10.6	-1.3	3.7
Female	14.1	11.7	-2.4	3.5
White, Anglo, Caucasian	12.1	10.1	-2.0	3.2
Black, African American	16.6	15.6	-1.0	5.9
Hispanic, Latino/a	17.4	14.5	-2.9	4.2
Asian	14.9	14.0	-0.9	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