Leaving the military can be a difficult adjustment for most veterans, especially when so many face unemployment. But according to a new study, employment for female veterans is actually on the rise in the U.S.
According to the report released by the Council on Veterans Employment, in addition to trending down, the unemployment rate for women veterans is not significantly different from the average unemployment rate for all women. In 2013, the numbers were 6.9 percent versus 6.8 percent, and 6 percent versus 5.9 percent in 2014, respectively.
Taking federal action
The study was established in response to the Veterans Employment Initiative, launched by President Obama in 2009 under Executive Order 13518, "Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government." The order called for the federal government to promote employment among veterans through leading by example. According to the report, 31 percent of new hires across the executive branch in the fiscal year 2013 were veterans as a result of the initiative.
While results such as these showed that the initiative was increasing employment opportunities among veterans in general, the Women Veterans Initiative was established to ensure that female veterans were also receiving opportunities at the federal level.
The report revealed that the federal government performed well in meeting the employment needs of female veterans. Though women make up only 9.2 percent of U.S. veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, they comprised almost a quarter of new hires in 2013 across the executive branch.
There are a variety of programs that provide job training for veterans.
A valuable demographic
Female veterans draw on their military experience to excel in the workplace.
"The Nation needs traits veterans possess to keep America competitive," said Elisa Basnight, director of the VA Center for Women Veterans. "When women veterans surrender the uniform, they keep the intangible with them – resolute resilience and the unbeatable skills that they will use in business, entrepreneurship, industry, and public service at all levels."
The Women Veterans Initiative additionally reported that female veterans were nearly twice as likely to be enrolled in school as their male counterparts. They are also younger and more racially and ethnically diverse than male veterans.
To increase conversations about the needs of female veterans, the VA's Center for Women Veterans launched a campaign in March that focuses on honoring and supporting the women who served this country.