Veteran Unemployment Rate 2.9% in December
In December 2019, the veteran unemployment rate dropped to 2.9%, down from 3.3% last month. The comparable 18+ non-veteran unemployment rate was 3.4% in December.
This is the 16th consecutive month that the veteran unemployment rate was lower than the non-veteran unemployment rate.
Additionally, the veteran unemployment rate for the calendar year of 2019 was 3.1%, which is the lowest annual veteran unemployment rate since 2000. This is a decline from last year’s veteran unemployment rate of 3.5%. View the full report.
ICYMI: Seasonally and Non-Seasonally Adjusted Data
Historically, we have referenced the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for veterans. However, beginning July 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics began publishing the seasonally adjusted veteran unemployment rate. This adjustment accounts for any predictable seasonal patterns in the data and allows for better month-to-month comparisons; we will utilize this data series going forward.
The full seasonally adjusted veteran unemployment rate series going back to 2003 is available here: Veteran Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates. If you are interested in the non-adjusted data, that is still available here: Non-Seasonally Adjusted Data.
Additional Veteran Unemployment Data Available
By visiting the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service employment data page, you can view additional Bureau of Labor Statistics data by various demographics such as age, gender, and period of service. You can also view past news releases, the latest annual unemployment report, and helpful infographics. This page will be updated periodically, so check back often for the latest information.