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http://iava.org/blog/no-good-news-veterans ’-jobs-numbers
No Good News on Veterans’ Jobs Numbers

For many Americans, the New Year is a time to make resolutions to get in shape, save money, or spend more time with friends and family. For too many new veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their New Year’s resolution remains the same—find a job. In a tough economy, new veterans continue to be unemployed at an alarming rate. While December’s national unemployment rate was at its lowest level since May 2009, the average unemployment rate for veterans continues to climb year to year. As the 112th Congress starts its term, one resolution should be easy for those on both sides of the aisle to make—secure jobs for our nation’s heroes.

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released unemployment data for the month of December 2010. While the unemployment rate decreased slightly to 9.4 percent for the general population, the rate for Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans increased to 11.7 percent, up from 10 percent in November. At 11.5 percent in 2010, the average annual unemployment rate for OEF/OIF veterans has nearly doubled since 2007. In real numbers, 210,000 Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans were unemployed in December and an average 205,000 were unemployed in 2010, that’s over 100,000 more than in 2008. These numbers are incredibly troubling.