The U.S. Census Bureau recently released an expanded version of the Veteran Employment Outcomes (VEO) data, offering insights into the earnings and employment outcomes of more than 2.8 million formerly enlisted service members. In this blog post, we explore what the data tell us about how honorably discharged veterans fare in the job market, including:
The analysis accounts for labor market outcomes one, five, and ten years after discharge for the 2002-2021 veteran cohort.
Trends in employment for veterans vary across sectors nationally. Post-discharge, most veterans find employment in the federal government and manufacturing sectors. These two sectors hold the largest share of employed veterans.
The specialized skills veterans develop in their military occupations are highly valued by civilian employers in many other industries, especially in professional, scientific, and technical services, manufacturing, and the federal government.
One Year post-discharge, most veterans were employed in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector, which saw the highest veteran employment at 174,200, followed by the Manufacturing sector at 140,700 and Retail Trade at 135,500.
By Year 5 post-military discharge, the Manufacturing sector saw a 5% increase, employing 147,700 veterans. The Federal Government experienced the most growth, rising by 63% from 121,600 to 198,700 veterans between 1 year and 5 years post-discharge.
In Year 10 post-discharge, the Federal Government was the top employer with 165,400 veterans, while the Manufacturing sector employed 94,160 veterans, and the Health Care and Social Assistance sector employed 65,310 veterans.
Median earnings increased for veterans across all military branches from one year post-discharge to ten years post-discharge.
Air Force veterans have the highest median earnings at $57,370 by year 10 post-military discharge, followed by Coast Guard veterans at $56,970. Army veterans consistently have the lowest earnings across all branches, with a median income of $53,970 at year 10 post-discharge.
Male veterans have higher median incomes than female veterans across all years post-discharge nationwide, regardless of their branch of service. By Year 10 post-discharge, male veterans earn $64,390, while female veterans earn $51,520. This means male veterans on average, earn a 25% higher income compared to female veterans’ post-discharge.
The data shows the number of employed veterans in North Carolina at different points post-discharge for the 2002–2021 cohort.
In the first year after discharge, 38,000 veterans were employed. By year 5 post-discharge, this number increased to 47,390 veterans, indicating a rise in employment for veterans transitioning into the civilian workforce.
However, by year 10 post-discharge, the number of employed veterans dropped to 20,610. This decrease could be due to various factors, such as career changes, retirement, or exiting the labor market for other reasons.
The median income of veterans working in North Carolina steadily increased over time post-discharge, per our analysis. In the first year post-discharge, the median income for veterans working in the state is $38,450, which rises to $47,740 by year 5 post-military discharge and further increases to $54,410 by Year 10 post-service discharge. The increase in salary as years post-military discharge progress reflects the long-term value of experience and skill development in the workforce.
The expanded Veteran Employment Outcomes (VEO) data provides valuable insights into U.S. military veterans’ long-term employment and earnings trends. These data illustrate the economic impact of military service and the transition to civilian careers.
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Tags: military, North Carolina, veterans
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