 Indiana has Nation’s Lowest Unemployment Rate for Military Veterans
New U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report ranks Indiana No. 1
INDIANAPOLIS (March 29, 2017) — Indiana has the
nation’s lowest unemployment rate for veterans, according to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Employment
Situation of Veterans - 2016 report. The report found that just 1.8
percent of Hoosier veterans were unemployed on average during 2016.
“Hoosier veterans bring tremendous skill and experience to
Indiana’s workforce, and we should use every tool at our disposal to honor and
support them when they retire,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. “That’s why I’m
proposing income tax exemptions for military pensions—just as many other states
across the nation have already done.”
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and
its WorkOne Career Centers located in communities statewide offer comprehensive
veteran placement services. Some
veterans’ services include free vocational training, occupational skills
assessments, direct job referrals, résumé review and interview preparation.
“In 2016, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
and our WorkOne partners assisted more than 10,000 Hoosier veterans, and more than
1,000 veterans were placed into employment opportunities via DWD veterans
services,” said Steven J. Braun, DWD Commissioner. “Indiana’s workforce
development community is committed to assisting those who serve our country by
providing veterans with quality service when transitioning from the military to
the civilian workforce.”
“These latest numbers are very exciting, and affirm what we
have known for some time – Indiana is leading the way when it comes to the
employment of our veterans,” said Director James M. Brown, Indiana Department
of Veterans Affairs (IDVA). “We have wonderful training and transition
programs for veterans, and we know from the data that word is getting out.”
Even more, to help Hoosier veterans gain the education they
need to secure good jobs after serving our country, multiple state
agencies—including the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE), IDVA and
DWD—partnered to offer a one-stop-shop for Hoosier veterans seeking information
on transitioning from the military to college or careers: LearnMoreIndiana.org/military.
Information for the Employment Situation of Veterans -
2016 report was obtained from the BLS’s Current Population Survey (CPS), a
monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides data on
employment and unemployment in the United States. Data about veterans are
collected monthly in the CPS; these monthly data are the source of the 2016
annual averages presented in the report.
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Contact:
Stephanie Wilson, Press Secretary
Office of Governor Eric J. Holcomb
Office: 317-232-1622
Cell: 317-914-9137
stepwilson@gov.in.gov
For additional information, contact:
Kayli Schroeder, 317-232-7358, kschroeder@dwd.in.gov
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