10 Worst States For Unemployed 9/11 Veterans

[allan]

Subject: [VeteranIssues] 10 Worst States for Unemployed 9/11 Veterans

Date: Jun 30, 2011 3:56 AM

http://moneywatch.bn...-veterans/1302/

As bad as the Great Recession has been for civilians, it's been even tougher on veterans. Thejobless recovery for 9/11 veterans unemployed servicemen and women who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan is much worse than the national average and shockingly bad in a number of states, a new Senate report shows.

Even among all former U.S. military service members, 9/11 veterans have the highest rates of unemployment, according to the latest report from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. The numbers are more appalling when measured against the total U.S. workforce. The unemployment rate for 9/11 veterans stood at 10.9 percent at the end of April (the latest date for which data were available) vs. 8.5 percent for the non-veterans, according to the report. (Seasonally adjusted figures put the total U.S. unemployment rate at 9 percent for April.)

May was even more dismal for 9/11 veterans, according to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), when their unemployment rate jumped to more than 12 percent vs. a national average of 9.1 percent. "[The unemployment rate for 9/11 veterans] generally trends more than three percentage points higher than the national average, and spikes to nearly 20 percent for male veterans ages 18 to 24," says Matt Gallagher, IAVA senior writing manager and a former Army captain, via email.

Work Type and Prejudice Partly to Blame

There are a number of factors contributing to higher unemployment rates for 9/11 veterans, the Senate report says. Perhaps the biggest contributor is that the vets were more likely to be working in mining, construction, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy that were hardest hit by the recession.

But that's only partly borne out by the list below. True, Michigan has the highest unemployment rate for 9/11 veterans, for example, and it has one of the highest overall jobless rates, too. However, California, Florida, Mississippi, Rhode Island and South Carolina all suffer from double-digit unemployment and yet none of them are among the top 10 worst states for jobless 9/11 veterans.

Here are the figures for the states with the highest rates of unemployed 9/11 veterans, according to the Senate report. For comparison, total state unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are in parentheses. In many states the unemployment rate for 9/11 veterans is three times higher than the state's overall level.

1. Michigan 29.4 percent (10.3)

2. Indiana 23.6 percent (8.2)

3. Minnesota 22.9 percent (6.6)

4. Montana 20.1 percent (7.3)

5. Tennessee 20 percent (9.7)

6. Kansas 17.2 percent (6.6)

7. Vermont 16.8 percent (5.4)

8. Connecticut 15.5 percent (9.1)

9. Nevada 15.2 percent (12.1)

10. New York 15.2 percent (7.9)

Another factor contributing to the dispiriting data are higher rates of disability among 9/11 veterans, the report notes. Advances in medicine save more veterans' lives than ever before, but that's also led to an increase in people who are unable to work because of service-related trauma. Additionally, men have been more likely than women to have lost jobs due to the recession, and of the 2.5 million 9/11 veterans, more than 80 percent are men, according to the report.

Prejudice also plays a role in 9/11 veteran unemployment, says Gallagher. Hiring veterans is a smart business move, given the work ethics, leadership skills and technological skills young men and women returning from combat possess, he says. "Unfortunately, many of our members have reported encountering vet stigmas during interviews with potential employers," Gallagher says. "The 'crazy vet' stereotype is unfair and inaccurate, and not representative at all of the best and the brightest that have fought these wars."

Whatever the reasons behind the shameful unemployment data, some estimates say the economy won't get back to full employment until 2020. It looks to be an even harder, longer slog for the 9/11 veterans

Read more: http://moneywatch.bn.../#ixzz1Qkuqvij4

"Keep on, Keepin' on"

Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"

See my web site at:

http://www.angelfire.../VeteranIssues/

http://www.facebook.com/dan.cedusky

Edited July 3, 2011 by allan

[john999]

It takes a depression to spawn a bonus march.

[Papa]

Well, it is not surprising that Indiana is in second place. Has to be one of the most anti-veteran states around.

Papa

[broncovet]

Yes, and notice the unemployment rate for Vets is almost always worse.

Why should the VET rate be worse than the civilian unemployment rate?:

The obvious answer is the government programs to give Vet preference in hiring are not working. I know..I applied at many places and the 10 points on the cival service test for Vets is largely a joke, as these statistics show.

Many, many times the VA and other places would hire civilians without a college degree and "pass over" me, when I had a college degree.

Once, my job counselor explained to me the VA has special "secret" programs which supervisors use to hire NON Vets, when Vets also apply. The theory is, that the Veteran candidates are less qualified than the NON VET. Balderdash. You see, the Va does not want too many Vets...they would want to provide too good of service to Vets.

There should be no reason that the VA has 2/3 of their employees civilians while Vets are going without a job. Telling the VA you are a Vet virtually ensures you wont be getting a job there.

ONE of the ways, at these secret VA supervisor meetings, the VA prevents the hiring of Veterans is instead of calling the job an "opening", they call it a "promotion". You see, Vets dont get preference in promotions, so when the Va does a job opening and calls it a "promotion" instead of an opening, they dont have to hire Vets. By cheating, they keep the Vet numbers low, and can continue bad service to Vets.

[john999]

I got a job as a disabled vet at the post office doing a job a monkey could do. It was the best paying job I ever got including jobs that required a college degree.

[Bigred122]

Everytime our government has started winding down from some overseas war we have had high unemployment.That is why they always like to keep a small war going to thin the herd, keep some what peace time numbers up for defense.It has been this way for as long as I can remember. The VietNam Era, the employers had already replaced us and THEY thought that we came with too much mental baggage to make room for OUR return home.I found if I said I was a Vet, whether I saw combat or not, they believed that all we knew was how to fight and kill and that our pyschies were reprogramed. The media kept enough high profile cases in the news where a Vet lost it to keep the publics mindset against us.Even tho I served in Korea, the judge that granted my wifes divorce while I was overseas granted her full custody of my son and I couldn't be with him unless she approved and she never approved. I was PROUD that I enlisted into the service, instead of running to Canada,Hiding behind school books or paying some attorney to keep me out of the service. So to get spat upon at San Francisco airport,or get turned down for the simplest of jobs hurt twice as much. Only ones for about 10 years that knew I was a Vet was other Vets. I hated to have to hide something I was proud of doing.Then after going to a VA hospital for some help and to wait for 12 hours only to be blown off by my country again.It would be 20 Years before I would ever trust the VA system again.I saw how they treated my dad and I decided to give them a second chance.Only to have them blow that second chance after only 2 years and screw me up in a surgery.Since then it has only been lies and 3rd class medical treatment. I get so mad everytime I see the media say something like Our returning troops are starting to get the same kind of treatment that our VeitNam vets got when they came home!! Did I miss something?? Was there a time when we received good treatment and I missed it? Forty years ago when my Brothers and Sisters in combat came home they fought invisible ghosts of war for many years. Now our ghosts are REAL PEOPLE who work for the VA system. Nameless, faceless people who believe they hold our fates in their precious hands.Even tho they have rules or regulations they are suppose to follow, they don't and they suffer no penalites.OIG is suppose to oversee them, but they protect them instead.I filed a complaint with them when my VAMC altered documents,when my RO knowingly put false info into my claim file, I let them know. Did they followup like they would if we broke the rules, NO!! Instead I got the Third Degree for trying to get them involved in my claim.Until government employees are held responsible for their jobs, they have no incentive to change their bad habits. I hope Congress has the courage to layoff about10% of the dead wood come budget time. Maybe the rest will change their attitudes and things will begin to get done. I know we will be cut in benefits like everyone else. I just hope I get mine before they take them away. We will have more Mean testing.I forsee the day that the max a vet can get in benefits will be 100% no matter what. No double coverages of insurance. If you can afford civilian insurance, you will lose your veterans. All medical centers will be critical care only medical services. The Boise center only serves those who have life threatening illness or injuries. They maintain a constant 3500 vet waiting list. The Portland Medical center handles everything from colds to transplants.They will be the first to have cutbacks in services.It will only get worse from here on out I'm afraid. Mike

[JT24usn]

Well, it is not surprising that Indiana is in second place. Has to be one of the most anti-veteran states around.

Papa

Indiana is actually fairly veteran friendly. Free hunting fishing license (only 10%). Property tax abatement (only 10%). Kids get to go to any state college in Indiana ( only 10%) Www.in.gov/dva:2343.htm. I could keep going but you get the drift.

Signed,

The Hoosier

P.s. You should have seen the shock on my face when I moved to TN and got nothing but a fishing license, and that was only after going from 10 to 30%. Everything else you lractically have to be 100%.