Returning Veterans Need Help Now More Than Ever
Although President Barrack Obama combats veteran unemployment through well-intentioned legislation, the situation is still grim for veterans of America’s recent and on-going wars. Returning servicemen and women are finding a hard job climate, with unemployment recently found to be higher than thirteen percent for new veterans. Data from 2009, shows that 75,000 Iraq (OIF) and Afghanistan (OEF) veterans suffer from “long-term” unemployment, joblessness for periods of time of 15 weeks or more. For veterans between the ages of 18 to 24, the statistics are even worse, with more than twenty percent of young veterans out of work.
Returning veterans are finding out that their old jobs, and sometimes the entire profession is gone or off-shore. Manufacturing has been hit hard, and although experts predict that American manufacturing jobs in the United States will rise over the next three years, for many veterans that is too late. It has been found that some companies and industries are hesitant to hire or re-hire returning soldiers, guardsmen, and reservists because of rapidly shifting deployment schedules in a period of unpredictable military budgeting, according to a report from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
However, under legislation known as the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, companies are prohibited from denying re-employment to veterans or other servicemen on the basis of their military obligations. Nearly half of all businesses are entirely unaware of this law, and have been illegally denying veterans employment. “Tens of thousands of reservists returning from combat are not being promptly re-employed, or when re-employed they are not receiving the pay, pensions, health care coverage and other benefits they are entitled to,” the report finds. Worse off, the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics found that “recently separated” service members earn on average $10,000.00 less per year than non-veterans, and historically that veterans from Vietnam earned “significantly” less pay than their civilian counterparts until their mid 50s.
Veterans are in desperate need of help, and the Veterans Affordable Housing Program is dedicated to helping low and moderate income, disabled, or transitioning veterans and their families find affordable housing in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Washington. We can help you by providing rent relief, down payment assistance, reduced-cost housing and more. Please contact us if you, or somebody you know is a veteran and is in need of housing assistance.
- Veterans find a rude welcome – WINSTON ROSS [registerguard.com]
Helping Veterans with the Veterans Affordable Housing Program…
Affordable Community Living is a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing low and moderate income families with quality, affordable housing since 1997 and now offers help to veterans and their families through it’s Veterans Assistance Program.
Learn more about our mission and how we aim to help America’s heroes.
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