The national unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in November – its lowest figure in four years – but the news was not quite as good for the country's veterans. For former servicemembers of all ages, the rate rose to 6.6 percent while the jobless rate for post-911 vets stayed around 10 percent, according to Military Times.
Approximately 12 million people are still unemployed, but the United States did add about 146,000 jobs during November. Experts say the majority of the jobs came in retail, professional and business services. While vets did not make the same gains, there are a number of programs slated to begin soon that could make a big difference.
One of the most anticipated initiatives is a revamping of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Specifically, a three-day class designed to help soldiers separating from service find jobs that recently became available at all worldwide military installations.
"This is in many ways a national security issue. It gets to the heart of taking care of the people who fight for us, and ensuring that we can then recruit the very best force that is possible," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at a recent press conference.