Jobless rate reaches all-time high for veterans who served after 9/11

Sgt. Bobby Lampkin recruits in-service personal for reserves when they separate but because of the economy, a lot more service personal are staying in active service longer, Lumpkin said.

JIM NOELKER/VETERAN EMPLOYMENT Sgt. Bobby Lampkin recruits in-service personal for reserves when they separate but because of the economy, a lot more service personal are staying in active service longer, Lumpkin said.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Man, 68, drowns at Caesar Creek Lake
12:49 a.m.
Water rescues prompt warning from health officials
11:42 p.m.
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
11:37 p.m.
Raleigh Trammell’s defense opens in felony trial
11:37 p.m.
UD to move satellite campus to Dublin
11:32 p.m.
> More headlines

By Randy Tucker, Staff Writer Updated 12:14 PM Friday, February 18, 2011

DAYTON — The unemployment rate for veterans of recent wars is higher than it’s ever been, and Ohio vets have been among the hardest hit.

The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans — a group the government labels Gulf War-era II veterans — was 15.2 percent in January, up from 12.5 percent in the same month a year ago and well above the rate for non-veterans of 9.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Meanwhile, the average annual unemployment rate for all veterans in Ohio rose from 10.5 percent in 2009 to 11 percent last year, moving Ohio into the top five states with veterans unemployment rates of 11 percent or higher.

“Obviously, this is something that (military) leaders recognize, and that’s why they put so much effort into investing in transition assistance,” said Derek Kaufman, a spokesman for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which offers a variety of programs to help military personnel move back into civilian life.

Despite such programs, the employment outlook for many veterans remains cloudy for several reasons, including the injuries many sustained while on active duty.

In 2009, about 21 percent of Gulf War-era II veterans reported having a service-connected disability, according to the BLS.

“We know mental health problems are associated with unemployment, and we know a large percentage of veterans suffer from (post traumatic stress disorder) symptoms or depression,” said Terry Schell, a behavioral scientist at the RAND Corp. think-tank in Washington, D.C.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2437 or rtucker@DaytonDaily News.com.