The Veteran Population
In the CPS, veterans are defined as men and women who have previously served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and who were civilians at the time they were surveyed. In 2008, 22.4 million men and women in the civilian noninstitutional population ages 18 and over were veterans. The veteran population differs from the nonveteran population in several ways. Veterans are more likely than nonveterans to be men, white, and older. In part, this reflects the characteristics of veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era. Veterans who served during these wars account for over one-half (11.9 million) of the total veteran population. (Period-of-service designations identify when the veteran served rather than where; thus, wartime veterans did not necessarily serve in a war zone.)
A total of 4.6 million veterans served during Gulf War era I (August 1990 to August 2001) or Gulf War era II (September 2001 to the present). Another 6.0 million served outside the designated wartime periods. Because age and other demographic differences can affect employment and unemployment status, the groups of veterans listed above are examined separately in the next sections.
Gulf War-era II Veterans
About 1.7 million veterans have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001. As is true for all period-of-service categories, men accounted for the great majority (82 percent) of Gulf War-era II veterans. However, the proportion of veterans who were women was much higher among this group of veterans (18 percent) than among those who served prior to either Gulf War era (4 percent). About 17 percent of the era's veterans were black and 10 percent were Hispanic. Nearly two-thirds were under the age of 35.
A large majority (85.0 percent) of Gulf War-era II veterans participated in the labor force in 2008, and their unemployment rate was 7.3 percent. As with nonveterans, the jobless rates for veterans vary considerably with age. Veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 had an unemployment rate of 14.1 percent, nearly double the rate of those ages 25 to 34 (7.3 percent), and almost three times the rate for 35 to 44 year olds (4.9 percent). In general, Gulf War-era II veterans' jobless rates were little different from the rates of nonveterans in the same age group.
About 30 percent of employed male veterans of Gulf War era II worked in management, professional, and related occupations, compared with about 34 percent of male nonveterans. Sales and office occupations; natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; and production, transportation, and material moving occupations each accounted for about 18 percent of employed male veterans and nonveterans.
Among female veterans of Gulf War era II, 43 percent were employed in management, professional, and related occupations, and 32 percent held sales and office jobs. These proportions were virtually the same as those for female nonveterans.
Gulf War-era II veterans were more likely than nonveterans to work in the public sector. Among veterans of the era, 23 percent of men and 30 percent of women were government employees in 2008. For nonveterans these proportions were 11 and 18 percent, respectively.
Gulf War-era I Veterans
For the 2.9 million veterans who served during Gulf War era I (August 1990 to August 2001), the proportion that were men (85 percent) was similar to that of Gulf War-era II veterans. Blacks and Hispanics accounted for 16 and 9 percent, respectively, of Gulf War-era I veterans, also very similar to the proportions for Gulf War-era II veterans. About 7 in 10 Gulf War-era I veterans were 35 years and over in 2008, compared with approximately one-third of those from Gulf War era II.
About 88 percent of Gulf War-era I veterans were in the labor force in 2008, about the same as the rate for Gulf War-era II veterans. The unemployment rate for Gulf War-era I veterans (4.0 percent) was lower than the rate for Gulf War-era II veterans (7.3 percent). Since unemployment rates are higher on average for younger workers, this difference probably reflects the older age distribution of veterans who served in Gulf War era I. Labor force participation rates and unemployment rates of Gulf War-era I veterans were generally similar to those of nonveterans of the same age group and sex.
One-half of the female veterans of the era were in management, professional, and related occupations, compared with 40 percent of female nonveterans. The occupational profiles for male veterans of the era and for male nonveterans were little different. As was the case with Gulf War-era II veterans, both male and female Gulf War-era I veterans were much more likely than nonveterans to work in the public sector.
Veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Era
In 2008, there were about 11.9 million veterans who had served during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam era. The great majority (95 percent) of these veterans were at least 55 years old, and more than one-half were at least 65 years old. About 97 percent of veterans from these wartime periods were men.
Reflecting the fact that many were of retirement age, only about 40 percent of male veterans from these earlier wartime periods were in the labor force in 2008. The labor force participation rates for these veterans declined with age; for ages 45 to 54 it was 78.9 percent, for those ages 55 to 64 it was 64.8 percent, and for those ages 65 and over (more than half of the total) it was 16.3 percent. The unemployment rates for these veterans were similar across the age groups - between 4 and 5 percent.
Veterans of Other Service Periods
Six million veterans served on active duty during "other service periods," mainly between the Korean War and the Vietnam era, and between the Vietnam era and Gulf War era I. Because these veterans served between the major wartime periods, which span several decades, this group has a diverse age profile. About 38 percent of these veterans were at least 65 years old in 2008. Another 38 percent were ages 45 to 54, and 17 percent were ages 35 to 44. About 90 percent were men, 12 percent were black, and 5 percent were Hispanic.
In general, male veterans of other service periods had labor force participation rates and unemployment rates that were little different
from those of male nonveterans of similar ages. As was true for wartime veterans, male and female veterans of other service periods were more likely to work for the public sector compared with nonveterans. In addition, women who served during other service periods were more likely to work in management and professional jobs and less likely to hold service jobs compared with their peers who never served.
