Challenges Facing Veterans

Unemployment may not be one of the toughest obstacles facing veterans, as it has been in previous years. In 2015, unemployment rates for post-9/11 veterans was 5.4 percent in 2015 — down from 10 percent in late 2013. Unemployment for all veterans was 4.4 percent in 2015, a drop from 6.9 percent in 2013. That compares to a national unemployment average of 5.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, a study shows that many veterans don’t think their skills are valued by private corporations. RallyPoint/Rasmussen Reports conducted a national survey of 1,473 active and retired military personnel. Here’s what that poll revealed:

• 40 percent said most private companies do not view military service as a professional asset
• 34 percent believe most private companies view military experience as a professional asset
• 38 percent consider the transition back to civilian life to be the most significant challenge facing veterans today
• 24 percent said finding civilian employment is the greatest challenge
• 13 percent said health care is the greatest challenge
• 9 percent rated post-traumatic stress disorder as the biggest challenge
• 9 percent rated personal finances as the biggest challenge

When it comes to issues of PTSD, a RAND study also revealed that at least 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have PTSD or depression. Of the veterans who do have PTSD, 50 percent of them don’t seek treatment. Of those who do seek treatment, only 25 percent receive minimally adequate treatment, the study says.