After a record-low unemployment rate in April, the jobless numbers for post-9/11 veterans jumped up a bit in May.
Still, there’s good news: 2.8 percent is still one of the lowest unemployment rates on record for the youngest generation of veterans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And veterans overall continue to be employed at higher rates than nonveterans for the ninth month in a row.
The overall veteran unemployment rate was 2.7 percent last month, compared to 2.3 percent in April. The rate for nonveterans was unchanged at 3.3 percent.
Experts warn against putting too much stock in the monthly unemployment statistics, however. Because the veteran figures are taken from a much smaller sample size than the overall population, the numbers can be volatile.
The national unemployment rate held steady at 3.6 percent in May while the U.S. added approximately 75,000 jobs, primarily in the professional and business services and health care industries.
Military Times contributor and former reporter Natalie Gross hosts the Spouse Angle podcast. She grew up in a military family and has a master's degree in journalism from Georgetown University.
