Posted on 10/15/2009 6:27:17 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
They serve on the front lines only to come home to the unemployment line. National statistics show the jobless rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is skyrocketing. CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports with what's being done to change them.
A few hundred veterans showed up to a "Recruit Military" job fair at The University of Illinois Chicago Thursday.
Those just returning from war were especially appreciative.
"It's difficult. I'm married. I have two kids," said 23-year-old Marine Reservist Corporal James Dillingham.
Afghanistan veteran Javier Sandoval, 22, says it's difficult to go from having a steady job to having none at all.
Both say they have skills and are willing to learn almost any job. But they recognize to some potential employers, they may be lacking certain qualifications.
According to the U.S. Labor Department, there's reason to have veterans-only job fairs like these. Numbers show the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is about 2 percent higher than the national average.
About 185,000 veterans of those wars are unemployed, just a few thousand less than the numbers currently deployed to those countries overseas.
But some companies, like AAR CORP. in Wood Dale, have long made it a priority to hire veterans.
Chairman and CEO David Storch says 18 percent of its workforce is comprised of veterans. He says they have important skills, like discipline and teamwork, that make veterans valuable employees.
And AAR CORP. Vice-President Andrew Milani, a retired U.S. Army Special Operations Chief, believes veterans are not intentionally being overlooked.
"People, if they knew that the veterans were out there and they were hurting, and looking for work, I think they would come forward and offer jobs, and there would be zero percent unemployment," Milani said.
Experts don't know why veterans' unemployment rate is higher. But many who work with veterans believe the government should do more to help them with job-hunting skills and other relevant tools as they transition out of the military.
It is hard to recruit the Veteran when thanks to Obama’s policies, thousands of others are being given pink slips!
This story is bogus. Is is not the staus of being a veteran that is the issue. The issue is there simply are not that many jobs.
I’d advise these young men to use their GI Bill and get a college degree or speciality skill training. It will be tough for awhile but well worth the effort.
This American appreciates their service to our country.
We recently hired 44 new employees. 40 of em are veterans. Texas.
There may be a few fruitbats who are prejudiced against veterans. But the problem is that under Obama the economy is flushing down the toilet and there are very few jobs. This is especially true of those just entering the job market, whether from high school, college, graduate school, or the military.
No jobs. Unless you work for the DOT and get to stand there with a shovel in your hands next to one of those Obama Stimulus signs. Or maybe the SEIU.
it’s interesting to read this in light of the publications available at the state jobs office. I picked one up over a year ago and it was directly marketed to vets. Numerous companies.
My oldest got home back in March and by middle of April had a job. A good one. And he’s an Army Reservist.
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