Jobless after war: Veterans find tough going

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/AP

Strained by war, recently discharged veterans are having a harder time finding civilian jobs and are more likely to earn lower wages for years, partly because of employer concerns about their mental health and overall skills, a government study says.

The Department of Veterans Affairs report, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, points to continuing problems with the Bush administration's efforts to help 4.4 million people who have been discharged from active duty since 1990.

The 2007 study by the consulting firm Abt Associates Inc. found that 18 percent of the veterans who sought jobs within one to three years of discharge were unemployed, while one out of four who did find jobs earned less than $21,840 a year. Many had taken advantage of government programs such as the GI Bill to boost job prospects, but there was little evidence that education benefits yielded higher pay or better advancement.

The report blamed the poor prospects partly on inadequate job networks and lack of mentors after extended periods in war. It said employers often had misplaced stereotypes about veterans' fitness for employment, such as concerns they did not possess adequate technological skills, or were too rigid, lacked education or were at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder.

It urged the federal government to consider working with a private-sector marketing firm to help promote and brand war veterans as capable employees, as well as re-examine education and training such as the GI Bill.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23056355/

[noel adamson]

1. "Employer concerns about their mental health"; at least someone is concerned.

I doubt that more PR campaigns are the answer either. Though it may have addressed a political problem well, the "Support The Troops" campaign certainly was not an adequate substitute for actually supporting the troops nor is a "Support the Veterans" campaign likely to be a good substitute for actually supporting the veterans.

[AwakeAtLast]

2. I thank God every day that a company that my husband worked for before he left wanted him back.

I would hate to think where we would be if that company had not hired him full time upon his return. Something has got to be done for the rest of them! This country has to back them up. Even if we didn't want them in it, they need our support!

:kick:

[varelse]

3. We need a real Support the Troops campaign

One that includes fully funded health care and rehabilitation, job opportunities, financial help, and recognition of their service. Our military budget needs some adjustment - and the true cost of waging any war should be calculated with true support of troops and veterans included. For instance, if our military spending were allocated from the start with soldiers and veteran's health and well being as a priority, we would not have seen news of veterans' PTSD symptoms dismissed as "pre-existing conditions" and our veterans would be returning to decent mental health care treatment and then full employment (or disability payments) instead of joining the ranks of the homeless. If our military budget had included proper equipment from the start, rather than pork-barrel subsidies for Bush's "have-more" contractor pals, we'd have fewer vets returning with undiagnosed brain trauma and other disabling injuries.


Somehow, I don't think paying tax dollars to a marketing firm is going to accomplish that.

[H8fascistcons]

4. Absolutely tragic

I do not think Americans really know how much trouble this country is really in. When veterans returned from World War two, Korea, Viet Nam they decompressed and then entered back into the job market. Hundrids of thousands of young men returned to cities all over this country and sought work in factories and re-entered our society, going on with their lives and raising famalies. Sadly, today America makes virtually nothing that will support a returning workforce, the ringing cry from Americans is give me cheap junk from China, my fellow Americans be damned. These poor young men and women returning from the middle east are so screwed, so screwed! If you think homeless veterans is a problem now just wait five years, they will all be flipping burgers at McDamage. The social implications for this country are unimaginable, this is an absolute crying shame!...

[tanyev]

5. They need to contact Bill O'Reilly. Surely he'd be happy to give them a job.