On Patrol

Americans hear yo-yoing statistics about the national unemployment rate every week. But for young veterans, the outlook has been stuck on bleak for a while.

The Detroit Free Press—quoting the Bureau of Labor Statistics—says the unemployment rate for American military veterans age 24 and under is a staggering is 29.1 percent. The news doesn’t get much better for older vets, as the overall unemployment figure for those who’ve served in Iraq or Afghanistan sits at 10.3 percent, significantly higher than the overall national rate of 8.2 percent.

The national rate for all veterans regardless of age is actually 7.5 percent, suggesting that once those who’ve served enter the workplace, they’re actually better than the national average at holding on to a job.

“They just don't get it,” Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Policy Director Tom Tarantino told the Free Press when discussing employers. “It’s hard to make that cultural connection.”

Read more in Despite skills, veterans of Afghanistan, Iraq not getting hired.