While the unemployment rate for veterans is lower than that of the overall population, certain states are faring better than others when it comes to hiring former servicemembers. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals some staggering variations in veterans unemployment rates, USA Today reported.
Numerous states have a veterans unemployment rate that's higher than the state average. For instance, 10 percent of former servicemembers in New Jersey are unemployed, compared to the state's 8.5 percent nonveterans unemployment number, according to BLS. New Jersey currently has the highest veterans unemployment rate in the nation, followed closely by Massachusetts at 9.9 percent and Arizona at 9.3 percent.
The news source reported that the states with the highest veterans unemployment rates had lower numbers of unemployment for nonveterans, with the exception of California, which has an 8.9 percent unemployment rate for both veterans and nonveterans.
Conversely, Virginia and Oklahoma have the lowest unemployment numbers for veterans, at 4.1 percent. According to the news outlet, Virginia veterans most likely benefit from the state's many military installations and facilities, including the Pentagon, which is located in Arlington County.