Governor Polis Declares November as “Hire a Veteran First Month”

Governor Jared Polis at Lamar Visit

(DENVER) — Governor Jared Polis has declared November “Hire A Veteran First” Month. With Veterans Day on November 11, the entire month of November has long been a time to honor Colorado veterans and ensure they have opportunities to succeed in a post-military life.

Although the national unemployment rate for veterans is 6.4 percent, a deeper dive into unemployment statistics for this population reveals that unemployment remains a key issue facing veterans. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging across the country, the unemployment rate for younger veterans stands at 9.4 percent and the unemployment rate for Black veterans is 7.8 percent, notably higher than the rate for white veterans (6.1 percent).

Military Times reports that “while veteran unemployment is trending down in recent months, we shouldn’t necessarily take comfort.” It is concerning that veterans are often employed in jobs that are below their qualifications. A recent study by LinkedIn tells us that veterans are 37 percent more likely to be underemployed than nonveterans.

This November, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, its Veteran Employment Specialists and a coalition of other resources and service providers throughout Colorado are joining forces to offer a variety of workshops, job fairs and other events over the next four weeks.