Veteran Unemployment Rate At Lowest Level In More Than 3 Years

When veteran unemployment dipped earlier this year, experts weren't sure whether it was a trend or just a blip.

That doubt has since been clarified.

The unemployment rate for vets is at the lowest level in more than three years, hitting 6.9 percent in July, compared with the 8.3 percent rate for the general population.

The number is the lowest monthly vet unemployment rate since before President Obama took office, according to Think Progress. Obama has long touted his record with tackling vet unemployment. He has a 2013 budget request for the VA that's 41 percent bigger than the one he inherited, according to Reuters.

?More veterans are finding jobs,? Obama recently said at a VFW convention in Reno, Nev., Army Times reports. ?Yes, it?s still too high, but it?s coming down, and now we?ve got to sustain that momentum.?

Earlier this year, the Obama administration signed into law the "VOW to Hire Heroes Act," which provides tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed and disabled veterans.

Obama also announced the Transition Assistance Program will get a makeover, providing more personalized assistance in career planning, the Army Times reports.

However, after studying data and interviewing VA officials, Reuters concludes that veterans may struggle beyond what meets the eye under Obama's administration.

The report cites issues such as increases in employment discrimination, a growing veteran homeless population, mental health issues and backlog in benefit claims.

And the unemployment rate for post-9/11 vets was 8.9 percent for July, higher than the national rate.

Nick Tivas, a 23-year-old Iraq war veteran, tells Reuters he thinks he may have to drop out of college after a problem with the VA regarding benefits and says he's had it in dealing with the backlog of disability claims.

"I have a feeling I'll have gray hair and grandchildren and still be dealing with some kind of problem from the VA," he said.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/03/veteran-unemployment-rate_n_1739820.html

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