July 25, 2017, marks the first annual Hire A Veteran Day, started by Hire Our Heroes, a nonprofit founded by veterans for veterans. We here at Nexus Direct are lucky enough to have our headquarters located in Norfolk, Virginia, the largest East Coast hub for the United States Navy. This new holiday has a very special meaning to our Nexus Family, as many of our parents, spouses, brothers, and sisters are serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces, and we have several clients that either serve military families or veterans. When news hit that this was to become a national holiday, we immediately jumped at the opportunity to spread not only knowledge of the holiday itself, but the reasons for its existence in the first place.

The sad truth is that, while the national average for unemployed vets has dropped over the past eight years, and the numbers fluctuate dependent on age range/year, this ongoing issue is still a real problem in the United States. While a brief reprieve from employment upon discharge is normal, if not recommended, one out of every two veterans (53% to be exact) face an undetermined length of unemployment upon discharge. There are many reasons for this, some legislative. However, one of the largest causes for this is that veterans typically need to be retrained in their field once they enter the civil sector, and while a company may want to give the job to the veteran, if they are up against someone who has been professionally trained, choosing the veteran could be deemed discrimination.

Unfortunately, post-9/11 veterans are in the lead regarding unemployment statistics. According to the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee’s document on post-9/11 veteran statistics, post-9/11 vets make up 18% of the total national veteran population. In addition, the unemployment rate for veterans aged 18–24 is more than double the average rate for post-9/11 veterans aged 25 years and older. These dedicated and highly trained men and women are sent home to join the rest of their age group in finding a job in an already extremely competitive market, having to be retrained in the civil sector, or returning to school for more education to attain a job at their experience level.

If you are not in a position within your company to hire and are wondering how you can help, there are still things you CAN do to aid the situation. You can volunteer to mentor a veteran in their job search at www.HireOurHeroes.com. You can also attend a virtual job fair by visiting www.targetedjobfairs.com to register your agency as an employer. This allows veterans to find your company and send their resumes to you. There are many ways we can make these heroes feel welcomed home, and helping them reach financial stability is a great start. Hire a veteran today!