5 things to know about veterans in the workforce


070215-vetsthumbBY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

There are more than 10 million former military members working in the United States.

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BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

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There are more than 10 million former military members working in the United States.

Click through for facts about veteran employment in Oregon and the U.S.

(Source: American Community Survey, Current Population Survey, courtesy of Will Burchard, employment economist of the Oregon Employment Department)

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Courtesy of Will Burchard, employment economist of the Oregon Employment Department

The unemployment rate for Oregon veterans was 7.3%  in 2014. The civilian jobless rate was 6.7%.


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Prescribed Fire Technician Frank Connor (right) served in the Army from 1990-1993. (Photo courtesy: Flickr — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

For Gulf War II veterans, the jobless rate was 12.1%. For all other veterans, the rate is 5.3%.

About 47% of veterans were in the labor force, while about 65% of civilians are working. Almost half of veterans are older than 65.


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Peter Schmidt served in the Navy from 1979-1983 and now is a Wildlife Biologist at Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge in Sherwood. (Photo courtesy: Flickr — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

About 154,000 of 166,000 vets in the labor force are employed.

18-34 year olds have the  highest jobless rate for Oregon veterans.


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This veteran memorial can be found in Coos Bay. (Photo courtesy: Flickr — eddiecoyote)

The largest share of Oregon’s veterans served during the Vietnam era.

Oregon veterans by war served:

  • Gulf War II – 7.9%
  • Gulf War I- 13.6%
  • Vietnam 38.5%
  • Korean – 10.9%
  • World War II – 9.6%

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Courtesy of Will Burchard, employment economist of the Oregon Employment Department

Of the 10.17 million veterans in the labor force, 20% work in the government.  13.5% of civilians  work in government.

Veterans work in manufacturing at a rate of 12.5%; 10% for civilians.


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Courtesy of Will Burchard, employment economist of the Oregon Employment Department

More veterans work in transportation and utilities — at a rate of 7%; 3.9% of nonveterans work in that industry.

Civilians work in  education and health services at a rate of 15.3%. Only 8.7% of working veterans are employed in that industry.