Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 USDL 09-0271 

 http://www.bls.gov/cps/ 

 For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT) 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Friday, March 20, 2009 

EMPLOYMENT SITUATION OF VETERANS: 2008 

The unemployment rate for all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces was 4.6 percent in 2008, the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The jobless rate for those 

who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 was 7.3 percent. 

This information was obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey 

of about 60,000 households that provides official statistics on employment and unemployment in the 

United States. Data about veteran status and period of service are collected monthly in the CPS; these 

data are the source of the 2008 annual averages presented in this release. For more information, see the 

box note on page 3 and the technical note, which provides definitions of terms used in the text and tables 

below. 

The Veteran Population

In the CPS, veterans are defined as men and women who have previously served on active duty in 

the U.S. Armed Forces and who were civilians at the time they were surveyed. In 2008, 22.4 million 

men and women in the civilian noninstitutional population ages 18 and over were veterans. The veteran 

population differs from the nonveteran population in several ways. Veterans are more likely than nonveterans to be men, white, and older. In part, this reflects the characteristics of veterans who served 

during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era. Veterans who served during these wars 

account for over one-half (11.9 million) of the total veteran population. (Period-of-service designations 

identify when the veteran served rather than where; thus, wartime veterans did not necessarily serve in a 

war zone.) 

A total of 4.6 million veterans served during Gulf War era I (August 1990 to August 2001) or Gulf 

War era II (September 2001 to the present). Another 6.0 million served outside the designated wartime 

periods. (See table 1.) Because age and other demographic differences can affect employment and 

unemployment status, the groups of veterans listed above are examined separately in the next sections. 

Gulf War-era II Veterans 

About 1.7 million veterans have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001. As is true 

for all period-of-service categories, men accounted for the great majority (82 percent) of Gulf War-era II 

veterans. However, the proportion of veterans who were women was much higher among this group of 

News United States 

Department 

of Labor 
2

veterans (18 percent) than among those who served prior to either Gulf War era (4 percent). About 17 

percent of the era's veterans were black and 10 percent were Hispanic. Nearly two-thirds were under the 

age of 35. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

A large majority (85.0 percent) of Gulf War-era II veterans participated in the labor force in 2008, 

and their unemployment rate was 7.3 percent. As with nonveterans, the jobless rates for veterans vary 

considerably with age. Veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 had an unemployment rate of 14.1 percent, nearly double the rate of those ages 25 to 34 (7.3 percent), and almost three times the rate for 35 to 

44 year olds (4.9 percent). In general, Gulf War-era II veterans' jobless rates were little different from 

the rates of nonveterans in the same age group. 

About 30 percent of employed male veterans of Gulf War era II worked in management, professional, and related occupations, compared with about 34 percent of male nonveterans. Sales and office 

occupations; natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; and production, 

transportation, and material moving occupations each accounted for about 18 percent of employed male 

veterans and nonveterans. (See table 3.) 

Among female veterans of Gulf War era II, 43 percent were employed in management, professional, and related occupations, and 32 percent held sales and office jobs. These proportions were 

virtually the same as those for female nonveterans. 

Gulf War-era II veterans were more likely than nonveterans to work in the public sector. Among 

veterans of the era, 23 percent of men and 30 percent of women were government employees in 2008. 

For nonveterans these proportions were 11 and 18 percent, respectively. (See table 4.) 

Gulf War-era I Veterans

For the 2.9 million veterans who served during Gulf War era I (August 1990 to August 2001), the 

proportion that were men (85 percent) was similar to that of Gulf War-era II veterans. Blacks and 

Hispanics accounted for 16 and 9 percent, respectively, of Gulf War-era I veterans, also very similar to 

the proportions for Gulf War-era II veterans. About 7 in 10 Gulf War-era I veterans were 35 years and 

over in 2008, compared with approximately one-third of those from Gulf War era II. 

About 88 percent of Gulf War-era I veterans were in the labor force in 2008, about the same as the 

rate for Gulf War-era II veterans. The unemployment rate for Gulf War-era I veterans (4.0 percent) was 

lower than the rate for Gulf War-era II veterans (7.3 percent). Since unemployment rates are higher on 

average for younger workers, this difference probably reflects the older age distribution of veterans who 

served in Gulf War era I. Labor force participation rates and unemployment rates of Gulf War-era I 

veterans were generally similar to those of nonveterans of the same age group and sex. 

One-half of the female veterans of the era were in management, professional, and related occupations, compared with 40 percent of female nonveterans. The occupational profiles for male veterans of 

the era and for male nonveterans were little different. As was the case with Gulf War-era II veterans, 

both male and female Gulf War-era I veterans were much more likely than nonveterans to work in the 

public sector. 
3

Veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Era

In 2008, there were about 11.9 million veterans who had served during World War II, the Korean 

War, or the Vietnam era. The great majority (95 percent) of these veterans were at least 55 years old, 

and more than one-half were at least 65 years old. About 97 percent of veterans from these wartime 

periods were men. 

Reflecting the fact that many were of retirement age, only about 40 percent of male veterans from 

these earlier wartime periods were in the labor force in 2008. The labor force participation rates for 

these veterans declined with age; for ages 45 to 54 it was 78.9 percent, for those ages 55 to 64 it was 

64.8 percent, and for those ages 65 and over (more than half of the total) it was 16.3 percent. The 

unemployment rates for these veterans were similar across the age groups—between 4 and 5 percent. 

Veterans of Other Service Periods 

Six million veterans served on active duty during “other service periods,” mainly between the 

Korean War and the Vietnam era, and between the Vietnam era and Gulf War era I. Because these 

veterans served between the major wartime periods, which span several decades, this group has a 

diverse age profile. About 38 percent of these veterans were at least 65 years old in 2008. Another 38 

percent were ages 45 to 54, and 17 percent were ages 35 to 44. About 90 percent were men, 12 percent 

were black, and 5 percent were Hispanic. 

In general, male veterans of other service periods had labor force participation rates and unemployment rates that were little different from those of male nonveterans of similar ages. As was true for 

wartime veterans, male and female veterans of other service periods were more likely to work for the 

public sector compared with nonveterans. In addition, women who served during other service periods 

were more likely to work in management and professional jobs and less likely to hold service jobs 

compared with their peers who never served. 

Changes in the News Release on Veterans 

From 1986 to 2008, BLS issued news releases every other year that focused on the results 

from the Current Population Survey (CPS) biennial veterans supplements. Data on veterans 

also are collected as part of the basic monthly CPS. This is the first news release that presents 

only annual average estimates for veterans compiled from the basic CPS. 

At this time, BLS plans to issue annual news releases on veterans. In odd-numbered years, 

the release will include only the annual average data for the previous year. In even-numbered 

years, that is, the years following the biennial veterans supplements, the news release will 

include both annual average and supplement data. 
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release are obtained from the 

Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides detailed 

information on the labor force, employment, and 

unemployment. The survey is conducted monthly for the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau using a 

scientifically selected national sample of about 60,000 

households. Questions were asked of persons 17 years of age 

and older regarding their prior service in the U.S. Armed 

Forces. Data are tabulated for persons 18 years of age and 

older. 

The data in this release are annual averages for 2008, 

compiled from the results of the monthly survey, which 

collects information on the labor force status of the population as well as a number of demographic characteristics 

including veteran status. In addition, a veterans supplement 

to the CPS obtains information on presence and degree of 

service-connected disability, membership in the Reserve or 

National Guard, and other topics related to prior service in 

the Armed Forces. The most recent such supplement was 

conducted in August 2007; a news release issued in April 

2008 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/vet.pdf) presented 

highlights of this survey along with the annual averages for 

2007. The next veterans supplement is scheduled to be 

conducted in August 2009, and the results will be issued in 

spring 2010 along with the 2009 annual averages. This 

release presents annual averages only. 

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-

800-877-8339. 

Definitions 

The definitions underlying the data in this release are as 

follows: 

Veterans are men and women who previously served on 

active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. Members of the 

Reserve and National Guard are counted as veterans if they 

had ever been called to active duty. Persons who are on 

active duty at the time of the survey are outside the scope of 

the survey and thus not counted as veterans in the CPS. 

Persons who reside in institutions, such as nursing homes and 

prisons, are also outside the scope of the CPS and are not 

surveyed. 

Nonveterans are men and women who never served on 

active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. 

World War II, Korean War, Vietnam-era, and Gulf 

War-era veterans are men and women who served in the 

Armed Forces during these periods, regardless of where they 

served. Veterans who served in more than one wartime 

period are classified in the most recent one. 

Veterans of other service periods are men and women 

who served in the Armed Forces at any time other than World 

War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, or the Gulf War 

era. Although U.S. Armed Forces were engaged in several 

armed conflicts during other service periods, these conflicts 

were more limited in scope and included a smaller proportion 

of the Armed Forces than the selected wartime periods. 

Veterans who served during one of the selected wartime 

periods and during another period are classified in the 

wartime period. 

Veteran status is obtained from responses to two 

questions. The first is, "Did you ever serve on active duty in 

the U.S. Armed Forces?" If yes, the person is asked, “Are 

you still in the Armed Forces?” Answers of yes to the first 

question and no to the second question qualify the person as a 

veteran. 

Period of service is obtained from answers to the 

question asked of veterans, "When did you serve on active 

duty in the U.S. Armed Forces?" The following service 

periods are identified: 

Gulf War era II — September 2001–present 

Gulf War era I — August 1990–August 2001 

Vietnam era — August 1964–April 1975 

Korean War — July 1950–January 1955 

World War II — December 1941–December 1946 

Other service periods — All other time periods 

Period-of-service definitions are modified occasionally to 

reflect changes in law, regulations, and program needs of the 

survey sponsors. 

Reliability of the estimates 

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling 

and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire 

population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample 

estimates will differ from the "true" population values they 

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies 

depending on the particular sample selected, and this 

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. 

There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, 

that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more 

than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population value 

because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally 

conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. 

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. 

Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the 

failure to sample a segment of the population, the inability to 

obtain information for all respondents in the sample, the 

inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct 

information, and errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data. 

For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the 

CPS and information on estimating standard errors, see the 

explanatory note for the household survey online at 

http://www.bls.gov/cps/eetech_methods.pdf. 
Table 1. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, sex, race, and Hispanic or

Latino ethnicity, 2008 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, period of service,

sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Not in

labor

Total force

Percent

of

population

Employed Unemployed

Total

Percent

of

population

Total

Percent

of

labor force

TOTAL

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 224,655 151,735 67.5 143,373 63.8 8,361 5.5 72,920

Veterans ........................................................... 22,429 12,368 55.1 11,795 52.6 573 4.6 10,061

Gulf War era, total ........................................ 4,592 3,989 86.9 3,782 82.4 207 5.2 604

Gulf War era I ........................................... 2,939 2,583 87.9 2,479 84.4 103 4.0 356

Gulf War era II .......................................... 1,653 1,406 85.0 1,303 78.8 103 7.3 247

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era .......... 11,855 4,690 39.6 4,492 37.9 198 4.2 7,165

Other service periods ................................... 5,983 3,690 61.7 3,522 58.9 168 4.6 2,293

Nonveterans ..................................................... 202,226 139,366 68.9 131,578 65.1 7,788 5.6 62,859

Men

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 108,488 81,282 74.9 76,560 70.6 4,722 5.8 27,206

Veterans ........................................................... 20,712 11,253 54.3 10,739 51.8 515 4.6 9,458

Gulf War era, total ........................................ 3,848 3,425 89.0 3,256 84.6 169 4.9 423

Gulf War era I ........................................... 2,488 2,231 89.7 2,147 86.3 84 3.8 257

Gulf War era II .......................................... 1,359 1,193 87.8 1,109 81.6 84 7.1 166

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era .......... 11,455 4,542 39.7 4,349 38.0 193 4.3 6,913

Other service periods ................................... 5,409 3,287 60.8 3,134 57.9 153 4.6 2,123

Nonveterans ..................................................... 87,776 70,028 79.8 65,821 75.0 4,207 6.0 17,748

Women

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 116,167 70,453 60.6 66,813 57.5 3,639 5.2 45,715

Veterans ........................................................... 1,718 1,115 64.9 1,057 61.5 58 5.2 603

Gulf War era, total ........................................ 745 564 75.7 526 70.6 38 6.8 181

Gulf War era I ........................................... 451 351 77.9 332 73.7 19 5.5 99

Gulf War era II .......................................... 294 212 72.3 194 65.9 19 8.9 81

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era .......... 399 148 37.0 143 35.8 5 3.2 252

Other service periods ................................... 574 403 70.3 388 67.6 16 3.8 170

Nonveterans ..................................................... 114,450 69,338 60.6 65,757 57.5 3,581 5.2 45,112

White

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 182,578 123,509 67.6 117,422 64.3 6,087 4.9 59,069

Veterans ........................................................... 19,256 10,355 53.8 9,920 51.5 435 4.2 8,900

Gulf War era, total ........................................ 3,566 3,101 87.0 2,961 83.0 141 4.5 465

Gulf War era I ........................................... 2,298 2,023 88.0 1,958 85.2 65 3.2 275

Gulf War era II .......................................... 1,268 1,078 85.0 1,003 79.1 76 7.0 190

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era .......... 10,655 4,232 39.7 4,064 38.1 168 4.0 6,423

Other service periods ................................... 5,034 3,022 60.0 2,895 57.5 127 4.2 2,013

Nonveterans ..................................................... 163,322 113,153 69.3 107,502 65.8 5,651 5.0 50,169

Black or African American

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 26,421 17,505 66.3 15,814 59.9 1,690 9.7 8,917

Veterans ........................................................... 2,383 1,515 63.6 1,408 59.1 108 7.1 868

Gulf War era, total ........................................ 758 650 85.8 602 79.4 49 7.5 108

Gulf War era I ........................................... 482 422 87.5 394 81.7 28 6.6 60

Gulf War era II .......................................... 276 228 82.7 208 75.3 20 9.0 48

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era .......... 892 334 37.4 310 34.7 24 7.3 558

Other service periods ................................... 733 531 72.4 496 67.7 35 6.6 202

Nonveterans ..................................................... 24,038 15,989 66.5 14,407 59.9 1,583 9.9 8,049

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 1. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, sex, race, and Hispanic or

Latino ethnicity, 2008 annual averages—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, period of service,

sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Not in

labor

Total force

Percent

of

population

Employed Unemployed

Total

Percent

of

population

Total

Percent

of

labor force

Asian

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 10,363 7,101 68.5 6,828 65.9 274 3.9 3,261

Veterans ........................................................... 254 154 60.5 149 58.6 5 3.1 100

Gulf War era, total ........................................ 89 77 85.7 74 83.1 2 3.1 13

Gulf War era I ........................................... 58 46 79.7 45 76.9 2 3.5 12

Gulf War era II .......................................... 31 30 1 ( ) 29 1 () 1 1 () 1

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era .......... 98 34 34.7 32 32.6 2 1 ( ) 64

Other service periods ................................... 67 43 64.5 43 63.9 – – 24

Nonveterans ..................................................... 10,109 6,948 68.7 6,678 66.1 269 3.9 3,161

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 30,444 21,600 71.0 20,033 65.8 1,567 7.3 8,844

Veterans ........................................................... 1,177 808 68.7 767 65.2 41 5.1 369

Gulf War era, total ........................................ 429 374 87.1 352 81.9 22 5.9 55

Gulf War era I ........................................... 268 240 89.6 226 84.3 14 5.9 28

Gulf War era II .......................................... 161 133 82.9 125 77.9 8 6.0 28

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era .......... 440 213 48.5 202 45.9 12 5.5 226

Other service periods ................................... 309 221 71.7 214 69.3 7 3.4 87

Nonveterans ..................................................... 29,266 20,792 71.0 19,266 65.8 1,526 7.3 8,475

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 35,000.

Small estimated levels are based on a small number of survey

responses and, thus, are subject to relatively large standard errors.

 NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed

Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, the Gulf

War era, and all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and

women who never served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Other service

periods include the periods between World War II and the Korean War,

between the Korean War and the Vietnam era, and between the

Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed information appears in

the Technical Note of this release. Estimates for the above race groups

(white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals

because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity

is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Dash represents

or rounds to zero.
Table 2. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, age, period of service, and sex, 

2008 annual averages

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, age, period of

service, and sex

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Not in

labor

Total force

Percent

of

population

Employed Unemployed

Total

Percent

of

population

Total

Percent

of

labor force

TOTAL

VETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 22,429 12,368 55.1 11,795 52.6 573 4.6 10,061

18 to 24 years ................................................... 317 255 80.6 219 69.2 36 14.1 61

25 to 34 years ................................................... 1,582 1,378 87.1 1,294 81.8 84 6.1 204

35 to 44 years ................................................... 2,617 2,391 91.4 2,289 87.5 102 4.3 225

45 to 54 years ................................................... 3,661 3,092 84.5 2,951 80.6 141 4.6 569

55 to 64 years ................................................... 5,623 3,665 65.2 3,520 62.6 145 4.0 1,958

65 years and over ............................................. 8,630 1,587 18.4 1,522 17.6 65 4.1 7,043

Gulf War era, total

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 4,592 3,989 86.9 3,782 82.4 207 5.2 604

18 to 24 years ................................................... 317 255 80.6 219 69.2 36 14.1 61

25 to 34 years ................................................... 1,582 1,378 87.1 1,294 81.8 84 6.1 204

35 to 44 years ................................................... 1,590 1,456 91.5 1,394 87.6 62 4.3 134

45 to 54 years ................................................... 747 653 87.4 634 84.9 19 2.9 94

55 to 64 years ................................................... 303 228 75.1 222 73.3 5 2.4 76

65 years and over ............................................. 52 19 35.8 18 35.0 – – 34

Gulf War era I

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 2,939 2,583 87.9 2,479 84.4 103 4.0 356

18 to 24 years ................................................... – –––––––

25 to 34 years ................................................... 837 744 88.9 706 84.3 38 5.1 93

35 to 44 years ................................................... 1,286 1,181 91.8 1,132 88.0 49 4.1 106

45 to 54 years ................................................... 537 467 86.9 454 84.6 13 2.7 70

55 to 64 years ................................................... 237 177 74.8 173 73.2 4 2.1 60

65 years and over ............................................. 43 15 34.7 14 33.7 – – 28

Gulf War era II

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 1,653 1,406 85.0 1,303 78.8 103 7.3 247

18 to 24 years ................................................... 317 255 80.6 219 69.2 36 14.1 61

25 to 34 years ................................................... 745 634 85.1 588 78.9 46 7.3 111

35 to 44 years ................................................... 304 275 90.5 262 86.1 13 4.9 29

45 to 54 years ................................................... 211 186 88.5 180 85.6 6 3.3 24

55 to 64 years ................................................... 67 51 76.2 49 73.7 2 3.3 16

65 years and over ............................................. 10 4 1 () 4 1 () – – 6

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era 2

Total, 45 years and over ....................................... 11,855 4,690 39.6 4,492 37.9 198 4.2 7,165

45 to 54 years ................................................... 628 494 78.7 469 74.7 25 5.1 134

55 to 64 years ................................................... 4,934 3,188 64.6 3,056 61.9 132 4.1 1,746

65 years and over ............................................. 6,293 1,008 16.0 968 15.4 40 4.0 5,285

Other service periods

Total, 25 years and over ....................................... 5,983 3,690 61.7 3,522 58.9 168 4.6 2,293

25 to 34 years ................................................... – –––––––

35 to 44 years ................................................... 1,026 935 91.1 895 87.2 40 4.3 91

45 to 54 years ................................................... 2,286 1,945 85.1 1,848 80.9 97 5.0 341

55 to 64 years ................................................... 386 249 64.6 242 62.7 7 3.0 137

65 years and over ............................................. 2,284 560 24.5 536 23.5 24 4.3 1,724

NONVETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 202,226 139,366 68.9 131,578 65.1 7,788 5.6 62,859

18 to 24 years ................................................... 28,034 19,225 68.6 16,994 60.6 2,231 11.6 8,810

25 to 34 years ................................................... 38,411 31,954 83.2 30,089 78.3 1,865 5.8 6,457

35 to 44 years ................................................... 39,083 32,670 83.6 31,168 79.7 1,502 4.6 6,413

45 to 54 years ................................................... 40,300 32,912 81.7 31,578 78.4 1,334 4.1 7,388

55 to 64 years ................................................... 27,868 17,951 64.4 17,292 62.1 658 3.7 9,917

65 years and over ............................................. 28,530 4,654 16.3 4,457 15.6 197 4.2 23,875

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, age, period of service, and sex, 

2008 annual averages—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, age, period of

service, and sex

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Not in

labor

Total force

Percent

of

population

Employed Unemployed

Total

Percent

of

population

Total

Percent

of

labor force

MEN

VETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 20,712 11,253 54.3 10,739 51.8 515 4.6 9,458

18 to 24 years ................................................... 249 211 84.7 181 72.9 29 13.9 38

25 to 34 years ................................................... 1,276 1,153 90.4 1,086 85.1 67 5.8 123

35 to 44 years ................................................... 2,242 2,086 93.0 1,996 89.0 90 4.3 157

45 to 54 years ................................................... 3,207 2,736 85.3 2,612 81.4 124 4.5 471

55 to 64 years ................................................... 5,377 3,515 65.4 3,374 62.7 141 4.0 1,862

65 years and over ............................................. 8,361 1,553 18.6 1,491 17.8 63 4.0 6,807

Gulf War era, total

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 3,848 3,425 89.0 3,256 84.6 169 4.9 423

18 to 24 years ................................................... 249 211 84.7 181 72.9 29 13.9 38

25 to 34 years ................................................... 1,276 1,153 90.4 1,086 85.1 67 5.8 123

35 to 44 years ................................................... 1,354 1,262 93.2 1,210 89.3 53 4.2 92

45 to 54 years ................................................... 647 574 88.8 561 86.6 14 2.4 73

55 to 64 years ................................................... 274 208 75.8 203 73.8 5 2.6 66

65 years and over ............................................. 47 17 35.3 16 34.4 – – 31

Gulf War era I

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 2,488 2,231 89.7 2,147 86.3 84 3.8 257

18 to 24 years ................................................... – –––––––

25 to 34 years ................................................... 677 622 91.8 591 87.2 31 5.0 55

35 to 44 years ................................................... 1,098 1,029 93.7 990 90.1 40 3.9 69

45 to 54 years ................................................... 459 405 88.3 396 86.3 9 2.2 54

55 to 64 years ................................................... 215 161 75.1 158 73.3 4 2.3 54

65 years and over ............................................. 38 13 34.9 13 33.7 – – 25

Gulf War era II

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 1,359 1,193 87.8 1,109 81.6 84 7.1 166

18 to 24 years ................................................... 249 211 84.7 181 72.9 29 13.9 38

25 to 34 years ................................................... 598 531 88.7 495 82.7 36 6.8 68

35 to 44 years ................................................... 255 233 91.1 220 86.1 13 5.5 23

45 to 54 years ................................................... 188 169 90.0 164 87.5 5 2.8 19

55 to 64 years ................................................... 59 47 78.6 45 75.8 2 3.6 13

65 years and over ............................................. 9 3 1 () 3 1 () – – 6

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era 2

Total, 45 years and over ....................................... 11,455 4,542 39.7 4,349 38.0 193 4.3 6,913

45 to 54 years ................................................... 588 464 78.9 440 74.9 23 5.0 124

55 to 64 years ................................................... 4,762 3,085 64.8 2,955 62.1 130 4.2 1,677

65 years and over ............................................. 6,105 993 16.3 953 15.6 40 4.0 5,112

Other service periods

Total, 25 years and over ....................................... 5,409 3,287 60.8 3,134 57.9 153 4.6 2,123

25 to 34 years ................................................... – –––––––

35 to 44 years ................................................... 889 824 92.7 786 88.5 37 4.5 65

45 to 54 years ................................................... 1,972 1,698 86.1 1,611 81.7 87 5.1 274

55 to 64 years ................................................... 340 222 65.2 216 63.4 6 2.7 118

65 years and over ............................................. 2,208 543 24.6 521 23.6 22 4.1 1,665

NONVETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 87,776 70,028 79.8 65,821 75.0 4,207 6.0 17,748

18 to 24 years ................................................... 14,035 10,089 71.9 8,773 62.5 1,316 13.0 3,946

25 to 34 years ................................................... 18,723 17,149 91.6 16,098 86.0 1,052 6.1 1,574

35 to 44 years ................................................... 18,325 16,886 92.1 16,101 87.9 785 4.6 1,439

45 to 54 years ................................................... 18,307 16,193 88.5 15,512 84.7 681 4.2 2,113

55 to 64 years ................................................... 10,747 7,830 72.9 7,545 70.2 285 3.6 2,917

65 years and over ............................................. 7,639 1,880 24.6 1,792 23.5 89 4.7 5,759

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, age, period of service, and sex, 

2008 annual averages—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, age, period of

service, and sex

Civilian

noninstitutional

population

Civilian labor force

Not in

labor

Total force

Percent

of

population

Employed Unemployed

Total

Percent

of

population

Total

Percent

of

labor force

WOMEN

VETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 1,718 1,115 64.9 1,057 61.5 58 5.2 603

18 to 24 years ................................................... 68 44 65.6 38 55.7 7 15.1 23

25 to 34 years ................................................... 306 225 73.5 208 68.0 17 7.5 81

35 to 44 years ................................................... 374 306 81.6 293 78.3 12 4.0 69

45 to 54 years ................................................... 454 356 78.4 340 74.8 17 4.7 98

55 to 64 years ................................................... 246 150 60.9 146 59.3 4 2.5 96

65 years and over ............................................. 269 33 12.5 32 11.8 2 1 ( ) 235

Gulf War era, total

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 745 564 75.7 526 70.6 38 6.8 181

18 to 24 years ................................................... 68 44 65.6 38 55.7 7 15.1 23

25 to 34 years ................................................... 306 225 73.5 208 68.0 17 7.5 81

35 to 44 years ................................................... 236 194 82.0 184 77.9 10 4.9 43

45 to 54 years ................................................... 100 79 78.5 74 73.6 5 6.2 22

55 to 64 years ................................................... 29 20 1 ( ) 20 1 () – – 9

65 years and over ............................................. 5 2 1 () 2 1 () – – 3

Gulf War era I

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 451 351 77.9 332 73.7 19 5.5 99

18 to 24 years ................................................... – –––––––

25 to 34 years ................................................... 159 122 76.3 115 72.1 7 5.6 38

35 to 44 years ................................................... 188 151 80.6 142 75.8 9 6.0 36

45 to 54 years ................................................... 78 61 79.1 58 74.7 3 5.6 16

55 to 64 years ................................................... 22 16 1 ( ) 16 1 () – – 6

65 years and over ............................................. 4 2 1 () 2 1 () – – 3

Gulf War era II

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 294 212 72.3 194 65.9 19 8.9 81

18 to 24 years ................................................... 68 44 65.6 38 55.7 7 15.1 23

25 to 34 years ................................................... 147 104 70.5 93 63.6 10 9.8 43

35 to 44 years ................................................... 49 42 87.2 42 86.2 1 1.2 6

45 to 54 years ................................................... 23 17 1 ( ) 16 1 () 1 1 () 5

55 to 64 years ................................................... 7 4 1 () 4 1 () – – 3

65 years and over ............................................. 1 1 1 () 1 1 () – – –

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era 2

Total, 45 years and over ....................................... 399 148 37.0 143 35.8 5 3.2 252

45 to 54 years ................................................... 40 30 75.9 29 71.2 2 1 ( ) 10

55 to 64 years ................................................... 172 103 59.9 100 58.4 2 2.4 69

65 years and over ............................................. 188 15 7.8 14 7.6 – 1 ( ) 173

Other service periods

Total, 25 years and over ....................................... 574 403 70.3 388 67.6 16 3.8 170

25 to 34 years ................................................... – –––––––

35 to 44 years ................................................... 138 112 81.1 109 79.1 3 2.5 26

45 to 54 years ................................................... 314 247 78.8 237 75.6 10 4.0 67

55 to 64 years ................................................... 46 27 60.2 26 57.3 1 1 ( ) 18

65 years and over ............................................. 76 17 22.1 15 20.1 2 1 ( ) 59

NONVETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 114,450 69,338 60.6 65,757 57.5 3,581 5.2 45,112

18 to 24 years ................................................... 13,999 9,136 65.3 8,220 58.7 915 10.0 4,863

25 to 34 years ................................................... 19,688 14,805 75.2 13,992 71.1 813 5.5 4,883

35 to 44 years ................................................... 20,758 15,784 76.0 15,067 72.6 717 4.5 4,974

45 to 54 years ................................................... 21,994 16,719 76.0 16,066 73.0 653 3.9 5,274

55 to 64 years ................................................... 17,121 10,120 59.1 9,747 56.9 373 3.7 7,001

65 years and over ............................................. 20,891 2,774 13.3 2,665 12.8 109 3.9 18,117

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 35,000.

Small estimated levels are based on a small number of survey

responses and, thus, are subject to relatively large standard errors. 2 Because of the aging of the population, there are no longer any

veterans of these eras under 45 years of age.

 NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed

Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, the Gulf

War era, and all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and

women who never served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Other service

periods include the periods between World War II and the Korean War,

between the Korean War and the Vietnam era, and between the

Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed information appears in

the Technical Note of this release. Dash represents or rounds to zero.
Table 3. Employed persons 18 years and over by occupation, sex, veteran status, and period of service, 2008 annual averages

(Percent distribution)

Occupation Veterans

Gulf War era WW II,

Korean

War, and

Vietnam

era

Other

service

periods

Nonveterans Total Gulf War

era I

Gulf War

era II

TOTAL

Total, 18 years and over (in thousands) ................................................... 11,795 3,782 2,479 1,303 4,492 3,522 131,578

Percent ..................................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Management, professional, and related occupations ................................... 36.0 34.9 36.8 31.4 38.6 34.0 36.8

Management, business, and financial operations occupations .................. 17.5 15.0 15.7 13.7 20.8 16.2 15.2

Professional and related occupations ......................................................... 18.5 19.9 21.1 17.7 17.8 17.8 21.6

Service occupations ..................................................................................... 12.4 15.1 14.3 16.6 9.8 12.9 16.7

Sales and office occupations ........................................................................ 18.0 18.0 17.0 20.0 18.3 17.7 24.9

Sales and related occupations ................................................................... 9.7 8.2 7.8 8.9 11.2 9.4 11.1

Office and administrative support occupations ........................................... 8.3 9.8 9.2 11.1 7.1 8.3 13.7

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations .................. 15.6 15.9 15.7 16.1 14.6 16.5 9.8

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ................................................. .4 .3 .2 .5 .6 .4 .7

Construction and extraction occupations .................................................... 7.4 6.8 6.7 7.0 7.4 8.1 5.9

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ..................................... 7.7 8.8 8.8 8.7 6.5 8.0 3.2

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ...................... 17.9 16.1 16.2 15.9 18.6 18.9 11.8

Production occupations .............................................................................. 7.4 6.5 6.9 5.9 7.5 8.1 6.1

Transportation and material moving occupations ....................................... 10.5 9.6 9.3 10.0 11.1 10.8 5.7

MEN

Total, 18 years and over (in thousands) ................................................... 10,739 3,256 2,147 1,109 4,349 3,134 65,821

Percent ..................................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Management, professional, and related occupations ................................... 35.0 32.9 34.7 29.5 38.3 32.6 33.6

Management, business, and financial operations occupations .................. 17.7 14.8 15.4 13.7 21.0 16.1 16.3

Professional and related occupations ......................................................... 17.3 18.1 19.3 15.8 17.2 16.5 17.3

Service occupations ..................................................................................... 12.2 15.0 14.3 16.3 9.8 12.7 13.3

Sales and office occupations ........................................................................ 16.8 16.0 15.1 17.8 17.8 16.0 16.8

Sales and related occupations ................................................................... 9.7 8.1 7.9 8.3 11.2 9.1 10.7

Office and administrative support occupations ........................................... 7.1 8.0 7.2 9.5 6.6 6.9 6.1

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations .................. 17.0 18.3 18.1 18.6 15.0 18.3 18.6

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ................................................. .5 .3 .2 .6 .7 .4 1.0

Construction and extraction occupations .................................................... 8.1 7.9 7.8 8.2 7.7 9.0 11.4

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ..................................... 8.4 10.1 10.2 9.8 6.7 8.9 6.2

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ...................... 19.0 17.8 17.8 17.8 19.1 20.3 17.7

Production occupations .............................................................................. 7.7 7.0 7.4 6.3 7.7 8.6 8.3

Transportation and material moving occupations ....................................... 11.3 10.7 10.4 11.4 11.4 11.7 9.4

WOMEN

Total, 18 years and over (in thousands) ................................................... 1,057 526 332 194 143 388 65,757

Percent ..................................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Management, professional, and related occupations ................................... 46.5 47.4 50.3 42.5 48.4 44.5 40.0

Management, business, and financial operations occupations .................. 15.8 16.1 17.5 13.7 12.8 16.4 14.1

Professional and related occupations ......................................................... 30.7 31.3 32.8 28.7 35.7 28.1 25.9

Service occupations ..................................................................................... 14.6 16.0 14.6 18.3 10.5 14.3 20.2

Sales and office occupations ........................................................................ 31.0 30.2 29.0 32.2 33.5 31.1 33.0

Sales and related occupations ................................................................... 10.3 8.9 6.8 12.4 11.1 11.8 11.6

Office and administrative support occupations ........................................... 20.7 21.3 22.1 19.9 22.4 19.3 21.4

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations .................. 1.5 .9 .3 1.9 2.0 2.3 .9

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ................................................. .2 – – – .4 .3 .3

Construction and extraction occupations .................................................... .6 – – .1 1.1 1.1 .3

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations ..................................... .8 .8 .3 1.8 .4 .9 .3

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ...................... 6.4 5.6 5.8 5.2 5.5 7.8 5.9

Production occupations .............................................................................. 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.3 4.3 4.0

Transportation and material moving occupations ....................................... 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.2 3.5 1.9

 NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces

during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, the Gulf War era, and

all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and women who never served

in the U.S. Armed Forces. Other service periods include the periods between

World War II and the Korean War, between the Korean War and the Vietnam

era, and between the Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed

information appears in the Technical Note of this release. Dash represents or

rounds to zero.
Table 4. Employed persons 18 years and over by industry, class of worker, sex, veteran status, and period of service, 

2008 annual averages

(Percent distribution)

Industry and class of worker Veterans

Gulf War era WW II,

Korean

War, and

Vietnam

era

Other

service

periods

Nonveterans Total Gulf War

era I

Gulf War

era II

TOTAL

Total, 18 years and over (in thousands) ....................................................... 11,795 3,782 2,479 1,303 4,492 3,522 131,578

Percent ......................................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Agriculture and related industries ............................................................... 1.7 .6 .4 1.0 2.9 1.5 1.4

Wage and salary workers ....................................................................... .6 .4 .2 .8 .8 .6 .9

Self-employed workers ........................................................................... 1.1 .2 .1 .2 2.1 .9 .6

Nonagricultural industries ........................................................................... 98.3 99.4 99.6 99.0 97.1 98.5 98.6

Wage and salary workers ....................................................................... 90.7 95.8 95.6 96.2 86.2 90.8 92.2

Private industries ................................................................................ 70.6 72.2 72.3 71.9 68.8 71.4 77.9

Mining ............................................................................................. .8 1.1 .9 1.5 .7 .7 .5

Construction ................................................................................... 6.5 6.4 6.5 6.1 6.3 6.8 6.0

Manufacturing ................................................................................. 13.8 12.4 13.5 10.5 13.6 15.6 10.5

Wholesale trade .............................................................................. 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.6 3.5 3.0 2.6

Retail trade ..................................................................................... 8.7 8.8 7.7 10.9 8.7 8.4 10.7

Transportation and utilities ............................................................. 7.3 7.2 7.8 6.0 7.2 7.6 3.7

Information ...................................................................................... 2.4 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.0 2.3 2.2

Financial activities .......................................................................... 4.7 4.5 4.8 3.9 4.9 4.7 6.6

Professional and business services ............................................... 9.2 10.8 10.4 11.5 8.9 7.9 9.1

Education and health services ........................................................ 7.2 7.9 7.8 8.0 6.5 7.3 13.9

Leisure and hospitality .................................................................... 3.7 4.5 4.1 5.3 3.1 3.6 7.8

Other services ................................................................................ 3.2 2.7 2.8 2.5 3.3 3.6 4.2

Government ........................................................................................ 20.0 23.7 23.3 24.3 17.5 19.4 14.4

Federal ........................................................................................... 8.0 11.0 9.5 13.8 6.1 7.2 2.0

State ............................................................................................... 4.4 4.9 5.4 3.9 4.3 4.1 4.3

Local ............................................................................................... 7.6 7.8 8.4 6.6 7.1 8.1 8.1

Self-employed workers ........................................................................... 7.6 3.6 4.1 2.8 10.8 7.7 6.3

Unpaid family workers ............................................................................ – – – – – – .1

MEN

Total, 18 years and over (in thousands) ....................................................... 10,739 3,256 2,147 1,109 4,349 3,134 65,821

Percent ......................................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Agriculture and related industries ............................................................... 1.8 .6 .4 1.1 3.0 1.5 2.1

Wage and salary workers ....................................................................... .6 .5 .2 .9 .8 .6 1.3

Self-employed workers ........................................................................... 1.2 .2 .2 .2 2.2 .9 .8

Nonagricultural industries ........................................................................... 98.2 99.4 99.6 98.9 97.0 98.5 97.9

Wage and salary workers ....................................................................... 90.2 95.6 95.4 96.0 86.0 90.4 90.5

Private industries ................................................................................ 70.9 72.7 72.7 72.7 68.8 72.0 79.8

Mining ............................................................................................. .8 1.2 .9 1.8 .7 .6 .9

Construction ................................................................................... 7.0 7.2 7.3 7.0 6.5 7.4 10.6

Manufacturing ................................................................................. 14.5 13.5 14.6 11.2 13.7 16.7 14.3

Wholesale trade .............................................................................. 3.3 3.0 3.1 2.9 3.6 3.2 3.5

Retail trade ..................................................................................... 8.7 9.0 8.0 11.0 8.7 8.4 10.3

Transportation and utilities ............................................................. 7.8 8.0 8.7 6.8 7.3 8.1 5.6

Information ...................................................................................... 2.5 3.2 3.3 3.1 2.0 2.4 2.5

Financial activities .......................................................................... 4.6 4.1 4.2 3.8 5.0 4.5 5.4

Professional and business services ............................................... 9.1 10.6 10.1 11.6 8.9 7.8 9.8

Education and health services ........................................................ 5.8 5.8 5.7 6.0 6.0 5.5 5.7

Leisure and hospitality .................................................................... 3.5 4.1 3.8 4.6 3.0 3.7 7.3

Other services ................................................................................ 3.3 2.9 3.0 2.8 3.3 3.7 3.8

Government ........................................................................................ 19.3 22.9 22.7 23.3 17.2 18.5 10.7

Federal ........................................................................................... 7.5 10.4 9.2 12.9 5.9 6.7 1.8

State ............................................................................................... 4.3 4.7 5.1 4.0 4.3 4.0 3.3

Local ............................................................................................... 7.5 7.7 8.4 6.4 7.0 7.8 5.6

Self-employed workers ........................................................................... 7.9 3.8 4.2 2.9 11.0 8.0 7.4

Unpaid family workers ............................................................................ –––––––

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Employed persons 18 years and over by industry, class of worker, sex, veteran status, and period of service, 

2008 annual averages—Continued

(Percent distribution)

Industry and class of worker Veterans

Gulf War era WW II,

Korean

War, and

Vietnam

era

Other

service

periods

Nonveterans Total Gulf War

era I

Gulf War

era II

WOMEN

Total, 18 years and over (in thousands) ....................................................... 1,057 526 332 194 143 388 65,757

Percent ......................................................................................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Agriculture and related industries ............................................................... .6 .2 .1 .2 1.1 1.0 .8

Wage and salary workers ....................................................................... .4 .1 – .2 .9 .5 .4

Self-employed workers ........................................................................... .2 .1 .1 – .3 .5 .3

Nonagricultural industries ........................................................................... 99.4 99.8 99.9 99.8 98.9 99.0 99.2

Wage and salary workers ....................................................................... 95.1 97.1 96.8 97.8 92.6 93.3 93.9

Private industries ................................................................................ 67.9 68.8 69.4 67.6 68.2 66.6 75.9

Mining ............................................................................................. .6 .4 .7 – – .9 .1

Construction ................................................................................... 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.0 1.6 1.6 1.4

Manufacturing ................................................................................. 6.5 6.2 5.8 7.0 8.0 6.3 6.7

Wholesale trade .............................................................................. 1.4 1.0 1.2 .7 2.0 1.8 1.7

Retail trade ..................................................................................... 8.0 7.4 5.8 10.0 8.9 8.5 11.0

Transportation and utilities ............................................................. 2.6 2.0 2.3 1.3 3.6 3.2 1.8

Information ...................................................................................... 1.6 1.7 1.1 2.8 1.9 1.4 1.9

Financial activities .......................................................................... 6.1 7.2 8.8 4.6 2.1 6.2 7.7

Professional and business services ............................................... 10.5 12.0 12.7 10.9 8.7 9.0 8.4

Education and health services ........................................................ 21.5 20.8 21.7 19.4 23.1 21.9 22.2

Leisure and hospitality .................................................................... 5.1 7.0 5.9 9.0 4.4 2.8 8.4

Other services ................................................................................ 2.5 1.5 1.8 1.1 3.9 3.2 4.6

Government ........................................................................................ 27.2 28.4 27.3 30.1 24.3 26.7 18.0

Federal ........................................................................................... 12.7 14.3 11.5 19.1 11.4 11.0 2.2

State ............................................................................................... 5.5 5.8 7.0 3.8 4.2 5.5 5.3

Local ............................................................................................... 9.0 8.2 8.8 7.3 8.7 10.2 10.5

Self-employed workers ........................................................................... 4.3 2.7 3.1 2.1 6.3 5.6 5.2

Unpaid family workers ............................................................................ – – – – – .1 .1

 NOTE: Veterans are men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces

during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, the Gulf War era, and

all other service periods. Nonveterans are men and women who never served

in the U.S. Armed Forces. Other service periods include the periods between

World War II and the Korean War, between the Korean War and the Vietnam

era, and between the Vietnam era and the Gulf War era. More detailed

information appears in the Technical Note of this release. Dash represents or

rounds to zero.