MAY JOBS REPORT SHOWS MARKET WORSENING FOR VETS

May employment numbers from the Labor Department show little improvement in the job market, especially for veterans.

Overall, the report shows the national unemployment rate is 9.1 percent, with little change in the last month because the economy created only 54,000 net jobs in May.

The May report, released on Friday, shows a worsening job market for veterans.

For veterans of all generations, the unemployment rate for May READ MORE »

AIRMAN DISCHARGED UNDER ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’

WASHINGTON — The Air Force has discharged an airman under the law banning gays from serving openly in the military, the first firing since President Obama signed legislation late last year aimed at ending the ban.

The service member was discharged April 29, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Todd Vician said late Thursday.

“The airman in the case asked to be separated expeditiously,” Vician said, adding that he didn’t know other details of the case nor the gender of the service member. READ MORE »

LAWMAKER: FIND 400K JOBS FOR VETS IN TWO YEARS

The chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee announced an ambitious goal Wednesday of finding jobs for 400,000 veterans within two years, a move that would reduce the unemployment rate for veterans of all generations from 7.7 percent today to about 4.5 percent.

To do this, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said he doesn’t want to create new programs or spend additional money. Instead, he wants to concentrate on making sure existing public and private programs are working efficiently.

“Good jobs are out there. We just need to retool our programs so veterans can compete for them,” Miller said. READ MORE »