Ending Veterans’ Employment Cycling: A Sustainable Employment Opportunity

Veteran unemployment continues to remain at relatively low levels, with data from April 2025 showing 3.1% of veterans unemployed. The monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics data doesn’t account for the percentage of veterans cycling into and out of employment, especially after short-term work. With all signs pointing to the effectiveness of non-profit, corporate, and government programs doing the heavy lifting to ensure veterans obtain jobs, it’s incumbent upon resource providers to look beyond the placement numbers and hype, as few are questioning the results of these efforts. They aren’t questioning whether veterans remain in employment situations and for how long. They definitely aren't asking "why" regular turnover among employed veterans is happening. The belief is that surely a veteran with a paycheck is better than one without. But what does that paycheck say about the quality of the veteran’s employment situation and future prospects for career growth?

As a non-veteran, I have written and spoken loudly for 15+ years about the need to evaluate the tenure of veterans’ employment and what information and resources are being provided to help them identify, engage in, and maintain employment after military service. I believe that more information and resources to support veterans’ effective job search need to be made available to veterans after leaving military service. Too many veterans are seeking career development assistance without knowledge of their veteran employment and education resources and lack the confidence to move forward to a new career because they haven’t received enough effective transition assistance.

Most major veteran employment non-profits and employer-supported programs are located in large cities and can meet only a percentage of the population’s needs. For veterans in smaller towns and communities, there are limited resources and employment support services available. And while veterans are being hired, can we honestly say they are in positions that are appropriate for someone with a veteran's knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience? Too often, veterans are placed into or accept employment that lacks the challenge and responsibility they are used to utilizing, resulting in low wages, decreased self-esteem, and worry that they have been set up to fail by a system that prioritizes getting a job in the short term over obtaining sustainable employment.

Sustainable employment occurs when an individual enters employment and remains employed in the same job or moves between jobs, making use of education, training, development, and social opportunities within or connected to their employment. In doing so, they can set a path for advancement and strategically engage in career development for long-term employment that they find equitable, engaging, and supportive.

For veterans to obtain work that fits their level of experience and offers career growth potential, I'd like to see something like TAP offered outside the military in communities where veterans live. Veterans need a program that would inform them about everything from goal setting to the ways they can use GI Bill benefits and how to package their knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience to market themselves effectively for civilian employment. There are too many resume services writing veterans’ resumes but not teaching them the resume writing skills. There are too many resume lists but not enough information about networking to find appropriate employment for veterans. And there are too many employers with big “veteran friendly” campaigns to hire veterans without indicating the types of positions available, the level of experience and education required, the amount of pay offered, and the qualifications for benefits.

Veterans don't need just any job. They need sustainable employment options that will allow them to gain experience in addition to ongoing training and development at a living wage that allows them to support their families and build a solid career for the future. We owe them the opportunity to build their best lives after serving our nation. It's time to stop talking about "hiring veterans" and start talking about sustainable employment opportunities to support veterans’ futures.