1

Technical information: (202) 691-6378

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 06-897

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Friday, May 26, 2006

(This news release was reissued on June 18, 2007, to correct information about the periods of

service listed in the Technical Note. The data in this release were not affected by the corrections.)

EMPLOYMENT SITUATION OF VETERANS: AUGUST 2005

In August 2005, the unemployment rate for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces was 3.9 percent, the

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. There were 3.4 million

Gulf War-era veterans (those who served anytime since August 1990) in the labor force. The jobless rate

for these veterans was 5.2 percent. About 11 percent of all veterans had a service-connected disability.

This information on veterans was obtained from a special supplement to the August 2005 Current

Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is the monthly sample survey that provides much of the basic data on

employment and unemployment for the United States. The CPS is conducted for BLS by the U.S. Census

Bureau. While data about veterans are collected monthly in the CPS, the supplement contains additional

questions on special topics such as service-connected disability status and year of discharge. The veterans

supplement was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of

Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service. Such a supplement has been conducted biennially since

1985. For a detailed description of the survey, including definitions of terms used in this release, see the

Technical Note.

Demographic Characteristics of Veterans

In August 2005, 23.4 million men and women in the civilian noninstitutional population had served in the

U.S. Armed Forces at some time in the past. About 3.9 million served during the Gulf War era, which began

in August 1990 and continues to the present day; more information about these veterans’ demographic and

labor force characteristics appears in a separate section below. Another 13.5 million, or nearly three-fifths

of all veterans, served during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam era. (See table 1. See table

9 for a breakdown of veterans who served in multiple wartime periods.) Six million veterans served on active

duty during other service periods, such as the periods between the Korean War and the Vietnam era, and

between the Vietnam era and the Gulf War era.

The veterans’ population is significantly older than the nonveterans’ population. In August 2005, 63 percent of veterans were at least 55 years old, compared with about 26 percent of nonveterans. Only about

1 percent of all veterans were age 18 to 24, compared with 14 percent of nonveterans. (See table 2.)

Whites made up a larger share of the veteran population, 87 percent, than of the nonveteran population,

81 percent. Blacks comprised 10 percent of all veterans and 12 percent of all nonveterans. One percent of
2

veterans were Asian, while about 5 percent of nonveterans were Asian. About 4 percent of veterans were

of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, while Hispanics comprised 14 percent of nonveterans. (Hispanics can be of

any race.) Women made up 7 percent of all veterans, compared with 57 percent of nonveterans. (See

table 1.)

Labor Force Characteristics of Veterans

Overall, 55.6 percent of male veterans age 18 and over were in the labor force in August 2005,

compared with 81.1 percent of nonveterans of that age. This difference in participation rates reflects the

older age profile of male veterans, who are much more likely than nonveterans to be 55 years or over. For

men age 18 to 54, the labor force participation rates of both veterans and nonveterans were about 88 percent. Female veterans and nonveterans—whose age profiles were more alike than the men’s—each had a

participation rate around 60 percent. (See tables 1 and 2.)

The unemployment rate of male veterans (3.7 percent) was little different from the rate of nonveterans

(4.4 percent) in August 2005. Among men 18 to 24 years old, however, veterans had a higher jobless rate

than nonveterans (17.2 versus 10.4 percent). The unemployment rate of female veterans (5.9 percent) was

about the same as that for nonveterans (5.0 percent).

The unemployment rate for black veterans was lower than that for black nonveterans—6.5 percent

compared with 9.5 percent in August 2005. Similarly, Hispanic veterans had a lower unemployment rate

(2.9 percent) than Hispanic nonveterans (5.4 percent). For whites and Asians, there was little difference in

the unemployment rates between veterans and nonveterans.

The occupational distribution of employed male veterans was similar to that of their nonveteran counterparts. About 3 out of 10 male veterans and nonveterans were employed in management, professional,

and related occupations, while about 2 out of 10 were employed in each of three categories: natural

resources, construction, and maintenance occupations; sales and office occupations; and production,

transportation, and material moving occupations. Among women, about 4 out of 10 veterans as well as

nonveterans worked in management and professional occupations, while about one-third were employed

in sales and office occupations. (See table 3.)

Gulf War-Era Veterans

This release is the first that BLS has issued that separately identifies Gulf War-era veterans. In August

2005, there were 3.3 million male veterans and about 600,000 female veterans who served in the U.S.

Armed Forces during the Gulf War era (from August 1990 forward) and were not on active duty at the time

of the survey. Whites accounted for 79 percent of Gulf War-era veterans, blacks comprised 16 percent,

and Asians were 1 percent. Seven percent were of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. (See table 1.)

A large majority (87.0 percent) of Gulf War-era veterans were in the labor force in August 2005. Gulf

War-era veterans were more likely to be in the labor force than were nonveterans in the same age groups.

About 4 in 5 Gulf War-era veterans were employed. Among persons 18 to 24 years old, there was little

difference in the proportions of Gulf War-era veterans and nonveterans who were employed. Among older

age groups, higher shares of Gulf War-era veterans than nonveterans were employed.

The unemployment rate of Gulf War-era veterans was 5.2 percent. Young Gulf War-era veterans

(18 to 24 years old) had a higher unemployment rate (18.7 percent) than young nonveterans (9.9 percent).

Older Gulf War-era veterans (25 to 54 years old) had an unemployment rate very similar to their nonveteran

peers—about 4 percent.
3

Of the 3.9 million Gulf War-era veterans in August 2005, 2.8 million had served between August 1990

and August 2001, referred to in this release as Gulf War era I. The other 1.1 million had served since

September 2001, referred to as Gulf War era II. Veterans who served in both sub-eras are counted in the

most recent one (Gulf War era II). (See table 8.)

Nearly 800,000 veterans reported being discharged from active duty between January 2002 and August

2005. (Not all veterans reported the year of their discharge.) Women accounted for 15 percent of these

recently discharged veterans, blacks were 17 percent, and Hispanics were 11 percent. The labor force

participation rate for recently discharged veterans was 86.0 percent, and their unemployment rate was

11.9 percent. (See table 6.)

Disabled Veterans

In August 2005, about 2.5 million veterans, or 11 percent of the total, reported having a service-connected disability. (Some veterans did not report whether they had a service-connected disability.) Veterans

with a service-connected disability are assigned a disability rating by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ratings range from 0 to 100 percent, in increments of 10 percentage points, depending on the severity of

the condition. Nearly half of disabled veterans reported a disability rating of less than 30 percent, while

22 percent had a rating of 60 percent or higher. (See table 4.)

The incidence of service-connected disabilities was slightly higher for those who served during the Gulf

War era than for those who served during earlier designated wartime periods. However, veterans of the

earlier wartime periods were more likely than Gulf War-era veterans to have a 60 percent or higher disability

rating. Among Gulf War-era veterans, 17 percent reported a disability rating of 60 percent or more, compared with 25 percent of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam-era veterans.

Of Gulf War-era veterans with a disability, 82.9 percent were in the labor force, compared with 89.0

percent of nondisabled veterans from this period. The unemployment rate of disabled veterans from the Gulf

War era was 5.4 percent, essentially the same as the rate for nondisabled veterans (5.2 percent).

Of the nearly 800,000 veterans discharged between January 2002 and August 2005, about 1 in 5, or

167,000, reported a service-connected disability. Of these, 58 percent had a disability rating of 30 percent

or higher, compared with 44 percent of veterans discharged between 1991 and 2001. (See table 7.)

About one-third of the disabled veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era were

in the labor force in August 2005. This relatively low rate of labor force participation reflects the age of this

group (88 percent of these veterans were 55 years or older) as well as the effects of their disabilities.

Among veterans of these periods who did not have a service-connected disability, 44.4 percent were in the

labor force. The unemployment rate of disabled veterans of these earlier wartime periods was 3.2 percent;

for nondisabled veterans, it was 3.9 percent. (See table 4.)

Disabled veterans who were on active duty during other service periods (times between the designated

wartime eras) had a 55.4 percent labor force participation rate, compared with 64.4 percent for nondisabled

veterans from these periods. The unemployment rate of disabled veterans from other service periods was

4.4 percent, compared with 3.6 percent for the nondisabled.

About one-third of disabled veterans were employed in federal, state, and local governments, compared

with 17 percent of nondisabled veterans and 14 percent of nonveterans. About 18 percent of employed

disabled veterans worked for the federal government. This compared with 6 percent of nondisabled veterans

and 2 percent of nonveterans. (See table 5.)
Technical Note

The estimates in this release were obtained from a supplement

to the August 2005 Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly

survey of about 60,000 households which provides the national

data on total employment and unemployment. The CPS is

conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor

Statistics (BLS).

The supplement was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department

of Veterans Affairs and by the U.S. Department of Labor’s

Veterans Employment and Training Service. Questions were

asked of persons 18 years of age and older regarding their prior

service in the U.S. Armed Forces and whether they had a

service-connected disability.

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.

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, inability to obtain

information for all respondents in the sample, inability or

unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information,

and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.

Standard practice in the CPS is for one member of the

household to answer questions for all the household members.

In the case of the supplementary questions about veterans,

however, several attempts were made to collect the information

directly from the veterans. This was done because some of the

information would be best provided by the veterans themselves.

For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS

and information on estimating standard errors, see the

“Explanatory Notes and Estimates of Error” section of the BLS

monthly periodical, Employment and Earnings.

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 Reserves

and National Guard are counted as veterans if they had ever

been called to active duty.

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, and 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 according to the wartime

period.

Veteran status is provided from responses to the question,

“Did you ever serve on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces?”

Period of service is provided from answers to the question

asked of veterans, “When did you serve?” The following

service periods are identified:

Gulf War era — August 1990 - present

Vietnam era — August 1964 - April 1975

Korean War — July 1950 - January 1955

World War II — December 1941 - December 1946

Other service periods — All other periods

BLS tabulations are modified occasionally to reflect changes

in law, regulation, and program needs of the survey sponsors.

In this news release, the World War II era is defined as

December 1941 - December 1946, when in prior years’ news

releases of the Employment Situation of Veterans, World War

II had been defined as September 1940 - July 1947. Also, the

start of the Korean War era was changed from June 1950 to July

1950.

Another change occurred in the tabulation of data from the

Vietnam era. In the news release for the August 2003 veterans’

data (USDL 04-1378 issued July 27, 2004), all veterans who

served in Southeast Asia between February 28, 1961 and

August 4, 1964 were included in the “World War II, Korean

War, and Vietnam era” category. In this release of August 2005

data, veterans who served in Southeast Asia during the early

1960s but did not also serve in the World War II or Korean War

eras were reclassified into the “Other service periods” group.

Had the same periods of service been used in this release as

in the July 27, 2004 news release, the total population figure for
“World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam era” category shown

in Table 1 would be 13.7 million rather than 13.5 million. This

revised definition of the Vietnam era in the August 2005 data

now reflects the same period of service definition for the

Vietnam period as defined in the monthly and annual average

data available from the Current Population Survey.

The Gulf War era has been divided into two sub-eras: Gulf

War era I, which includes all those who served between

August 1990 and August 2001; and Gulf War era II, which

includes all those who served from September 2001 to the

present. Veterans who served in both sub-eras are classified

in the more recent one (era II).

Presence of service-connected disability is provided by

answers to the question, “Has the Department of Veterans

Affairs (VA) or the Department of Defense determined that you

have a service-connected disability; that is, a health condition

or impairment caused or made worse by military service?”

Service-connected disability rating is based on answers to

the question, “What is your current service-connected

disability rating?” Answers can range from 0 to 100 percent,

in increments of 10 percentage points. Ratings are determined

from a rating schedule published in the Code of Federal

Regulations, Title 38, “Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans’

Relief,” Part 4—“Schedule for Rating Disabilities.” The rating

schedule is “primarily a guide in the evaluation of disability

resulting from all types of diseases and injuries encountered as

a result of or incident to military service. The percentage

ratings represent as far as can practicably be determined the

average impairment in earning capacity resulting from such

diseases and injuries and their residual conditions in civil

occupations.” Part 4 contains a listing of hundreds of possible

disorders and assigns ratings of 0 through 100 percent in steps

of 10 percent for each, with instructions for rating multiple

disorders.

Year of discharge is determined by answers to the question,

“In what year were you last separated from active duty in the

Armed Forces?”
Table 1. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, sex, race,

and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, August 2005, not seasonally adjusted

(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 ....................................... 217,826 147,348 67.6 140,520 64.5 6,828 4.6 70,478

 Veterans ............................................................ 23,402 13,105 56.0 12,594 53.8 511 3.9 10,297

 Gulf War era .................................................... 3,861 3,358 87.0 3,184 82.5 173 5.2 503

 WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era ............. 13,527 5,849 43.2 5,647 41.8 201 3.4 7,678

 Other service periods ...................................... 6,015 3,899 64.8 3,762 62.5 137 3.5 2,116

 Nonveterans ...................................................... 194,424 134,243 69.0 127,926 65.8 6,317 4.7 60,181

Men

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 104,903 79,550 75.8 76,138 72.6 3,411 4.3 25,353

 Veterans ............................................................ 21,756 12,088 55.6 11,637 53.5 451 3.7 9,668

 Gulf War era .................................................... 3,253 2,935 90.2 2,791 85.8 144 4.9 318

 WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era ............. 13,067 5,679 43.5 5,491 42.0 189 3.3 7,387

 Other service periods ...................................... 5,436 3,473 63.9 3,355 61.7 118 3.4 1,963

 Nonveterans ...................................................... 83,147 67,462 81.1 64,502 77.6 2,960 4.4 15,685

Women

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 112,923 67,798 60.0 64,381 57.0 3,417 5.0 45,125

 Veterans ............................................................ 1,646 1,017 61.8 957 58.2 60 5.9 629

 Gulf War era .................................................... 608 422 69.5 393 64.7 29 6.9 185

 WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era ............. 460 169 36.8 157 34.1 13 7.4 291

 Other service periods ...................................... 578 426 73.6 407 70.4 18 4.3 153

 Nonveterans ...................................................... 111,277 66,781 60.0 63,424 57.0 3,357 5.0 44,496

White

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 178,031 120,504 67.7 115,712 65.0 4,792 4.0 57,527

 Veterans ............................................................ 20,390 11,129 54.6 10,738 52.7 391 3.5 9,261

 Gulf War era .................................................... 3,047 2,680 88.0 2,551 83.7 129 4.8 367

 WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era ............. 12,288 5,278 43.0 5,109 41.6 169 3.2 7,010

 Other service periods ...................................... 5,054 3,171 62.7 3,078 60.9 93 2.9 1,883

 Nonveterans ...................................................... 157,641 109,375 69.4 104,974 66.6 4,401 4.0 48,267

Black or African American

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 25,312 16,993 67.1 15,427 60.9 1,567 9.2 8,318

 Veterans ............................................................ 2,255 1,509 66.9 1,411 62.6 98 6.5 746

 Gulf War era .................................................... 614 506 82.4 466 75.9 40 7.9 108

 WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era ............. 891 424 47.5 402 45.1 22 5.1 468

 Other service periods ...................................... 750 580 77.2 544 72.4 36 6.2 171

 Nonveterans ...................................................... 23,056 15,484 67.2 14,016 60.8 1,469 9.5 7,572

Asian

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 9,536 6,440 67.5 6,214 65.2 226 3.5 3,096

 Veterans ............................................................ 221 116 52.5 112 50.9 3 2.9 105

 Gulf War era .................................................... 51 38 1 ( ) 35 1 () 2 1 ( ) 13

 WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era ............. 122 40 32.6 39 31.9 1 1 ( ) 82

 Other service periods ...................................... 48 38 1 ( ) 38 1 ( ) – – 10

 Nonveterans ...................................................... 9,315 6,324 67.9 6,101 65.5 223 3.5 2,992

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Total, 18 years and over ....................................... 27,751 19,520 70.3 18,478 66.6 1,042 5.3 8,231

 Veterans ............................................................ 1,017 632 62.2 614 60.4 18 2.9 385

 Gulf War era .................................................... 284 241 85.0 240 84.7 1 .3 43

 WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era ............. 438 209 47.8 196 44.8 13 6.2 229

 Other service periods ...................................... 296 182 61.5 178 60.1 4 2.4 114

 Nonveterans ...................................................... 26,734 18,888 70.6 17,864 66.8 1,024 5.4 7,846

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 75,000.

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 race groups. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is

identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are

classified by ethnicity as well as by race. Dash represents or rounds to

zero.
Table 2. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, and age, August 2005, 

not seasonally adjusted

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, period of service,

and age

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 ............................. 23,402 13,105 56.0 12,594 53.8 511 3.9 10,297

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 316 245 77.5 199 63.0 46 18.7 71

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 1,557 1,397 89.7 1,345 86.3 53 3.8 160

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 2,931 2,650 90.4 2,554 87.2 96 3.6 280

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 3,865 3,335 86.3 3,214 83.2 120 3.6 531

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 5,771 3,935 68.2 3,796 65.8 140 3.6 1,835

 65 years and over ................................... 8,962 1,542 17.2 1,486 16.6 56 3.7 7,420

Gulf War era

Total, 18 years and over ............................. 3,861 3,358 87.0 3,184 82.5 173 5.2 503

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 316 245 77.5 199 63.0 46 18.7 71

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 1,496 1,336 89.3 1,284 85.8 52 3.9 160

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 1,259 1,137 90.3 1,081 85.9 56 4.9 122

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 601 527 87.6 510 84.8 17 3.3 74

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 151 107 71.1 105 69.8 2 1.9 44

 65 years and over ................................... 37 5 1 () 5 1 ( ) – – 32

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era 2

Total, 45 years and over ............................. 13,527 5,849 43.2 5,647 41.8 201 3.4 7,678

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 1,676 1,402 83.7 1,364 81.4 38 2.7 274

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 4,872 3,416 70.1 3,289 67.5 127 3.7 1,456

 65 years and over ................................... 6,979 1,031 14.8 994 14.2 36 3.5 5,948

Other service periods

Total, 25 years and over ............................. 6,015 3,899 64.8 3,762 62.5 137 3.5 2,116

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 61 61 1 ( ) 60 1 () – 1 () –

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 1,672 1,514 90.5 1,473 88.1 40 2.7 158

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 1,588 1,406 88.5 1,340 84.4 66 4.7 182

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 748 412 55.1 401 53.7 11 2.6 336

 65 years and over ................................... 1,946 506 26.0 487 25.0 20 3.9 1,439

NONVETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ............................. 194,424 134,243 69.0 127,926 65.8 6,317 4.7 60,181

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 27,796 19,966 71.8 17,992 64.7 1,974 9.9 7,830

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 37,537 30,894 82.3 29,348 78.2 1,546 5.0 6,643

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 40,058 33,283 83.1 32,064 80.0 1,219 3.7 6,775

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 38,323 31,254 81.6 30,280 79.0 973 3.1 7,069

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 24,522 15,131 61.7 14,649 59.7 482 3.2 9,391

 65 years and over ................................... 26,188 3,715 14.2 3,593 13.7 122 3.3 22,473

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, and age, August 2005, 

not seasonally adjusted—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, period of service,

and age

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 ............................. 21,756 12,088 55.6 11,637 53.5 451 3.7 9,668

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 248 200 80.5 165 66.7 34 17.2 48

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 1,293 1,220 94.4 1,180 91.3 40 3.3 73

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 2,495 2,288 91.7 2,198 88.1 90 3.9 207

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 3,432 2,988 87.1 2,893 84.3 96 3.2 443

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 5,629 3,866 68.7 3,731 66.3 136 3.5 1,763

 65 years and over ................................... 8,659 1,525 17.6 1,470 17.0 55 3.6 7,135

Gulf War era

Total, 18 years and over ............................. 3,253 2,935 90.2 2,791 85.8 144 4.9 318

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 248 200 80.5 165 66.7 34 17.2 48

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 1,244 1,172 94.2 1,132 90.9 40 3.4 73

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 1,071 986 92.1 933 87.1 54 5.4 84

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 513 467 90.9 453 88.3 14 3.0 47

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 145 105 72.8 103 71.4 2 1.9 39

 65 years and over ................................... 32 5 1 () 5 1 ( ) – – 27

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era 2

Total, 45 years and over ............................. 13,067 5,679 43.5 5,491 42.0 189 3.3 7,387

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 1,561 1,299 83.3 1,269 81.3 31 2.3 261

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 4,775 3,361 70.4 3,238 67.8 123 3.7 1,413

 65 years and over ................................... 6,731 1,019 15.1 984 14.6 35 3.5 5,713

Other service periods

Total, 25 years and over ............................. 5,436 3,473 63.9 3,355 61.7 118 3.4 1,963

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 49 49 1 ( ) 49 1 () – – –

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 1,424 1,302 91.4 1,265 88.8 36 2.8 123

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 1,358 1,222 90.0 1,171 86.2 52 4.2 135

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 709 400 56.3 389 54.8 11 2.7 310

 65 years and over ................................... 1,896 501 26.4 481 25.4 20 4.0 1,395

NONVETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ............................. 83,147 67,462 81.1 64,502 77.6 2,960 4.4 15,685

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 13,840 10,488 75.8 9,395 67.9 1,093 10.4 3,352

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 18,172 16,778 92.3 16,086 88.5 693 4.1 1,393

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 18,678 17,208 92.1 16,659 89.2 548 3.2 1,470

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 17,208 15,245 88.6 14,807 86.0 438 2.9 1,963

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 8,937 6,274 70.2 6,109 68.4 165 2.6 2,664

 65 years and over ................................... 6,313 1,469 23.3 1,446 22.9 23 1.6 4,844

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 2. Employment status of persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, and age, August 2005, 

not seasonally adjusted—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Veteran status, period of service,

and age

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 ............................. 1,646 1,017 61.8 957 58.2 60 5.9 629

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 68 46 1 ( ) 34 1 ( ) 12 1 ( ) 23

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 264 177 66.9 164 62.3 12 6.9 87

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 436 362 83.1 356 81.7 6 1.7 73

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 434 346 79.8 322 74.2 25 7.1 87

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 142 69 48.7 65 45.8 4 1 ( ) 73

 65 years and over ................................... 302 17 5.8 16 5.4 1 1 ( ) 285

Gulf War era

Total, 18 years and over ............................. 608 422 69.5 393 64.7 29 6.9 185

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 68 46 1 ( ) 34 1 ( ) 12 1 ( ) 23

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 252 165 65.3 153 60.6 12 7.2 87

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 188 150 79.8 148 78.7 2 1.5 38

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 88 60 68.4 57 64.4 4 1 ( ) 28

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 6 2 1 () 2 1 () – – 4

 65 years and over ................................... 5 – – –––– 5

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era 2

Total, 45 years and over ............................. 460 169 36.8 157 34.1 13 7.4 291

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 115 102 89.1 95 82.9 7 6.9 13

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 97 55 56.3 51 52.0 4 1 ( ) 43

 65 years and over ................................... 247 12 4.8 11 4.3 1 1 ( ) 235

Other service periods

Total, 25 years and over ............................. 578 426 73.6 407 70.4 18 4.3 153

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 12 12 1 ( ) 12 1 () – 1 () –

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 248 212 85.7 208 84.0 4 1.9 36

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 231 184 79.6 170 73.5 14 7.6 47

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 38 12 1 ( ) 12 1 ( ) – – 26

 65 years and over ................................... 50 6 1 () 6 1 ( ) – – 44

NONVETERANS

Total, 18 years and over ............................. 111,277 66,781 60.0 63,424 57.0 3,357 5.0 44,496

 18 to 24 years ......................................... 13,956 9,478 67.9 8,597 61.6 881 9.3 4,478

 25 to 34 years ......................................... 19,366 14,116 72.9 13,262 68.5 854 6.0 5,250

 35 to 44 years ......................................... 21,380 16,075 75.2 15,404 72.1 670 4.2 5,305

 45 to 54 years ......................................... 21,115 16,009 75.8 15,474 73.3 535 3.3 5,106

 55 to 64 years ......................................... 15,585 8,857 56.8 8,540 54.8 317 3.6 6,728

 65 years and over ................................... 19,875 2,246 11.3 2,147 10.8 99 4.4 17,629

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 75,000.

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, veteran status, period of service, and sex, August 2005,

 not seasonally adjusted

(Percent distribution)

Occupation

Veterans

Nonveterans

Total Gulf War era

WW II,

Korean

War, and 

Vietnam era

Other

service

periods

TOTAL

 Total, 18 years and over (thousands) ................................................ 12,594 3,184 5,647 3,762 127,926

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

 Management, professional, and related occupations ............................ 34.3 31.4 36.5 33.6 34.9

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations ........... 17.7 13.7 20.0 17.5 14.4

 Professional and related occupations .................................................. 16.6 17.7 16.4 16.0 20.5

 Service occupations .............................................................................. 12.2 15.2 10.9 11.5 16.6

 Sales and office occupations ................................................................. 19.2 19.3 19.9 18.1 25.7

 Sales and related occupations ............................................................ 10.6 9.1 12.7 8.9 11.3

 Office and administrative support occupations .................................... 8.6 10.2 7.2 9.3 14.4

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ........... 17.1 17.2 15.6 19.1 10.7

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .......................................... .5 .6 .6 .2 .8

 Construction and extraction occupations ............................................. 8.7 8.4 8.0 10.2 6.5

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations .............................. 7.9 8.2 7.1 8.8 3.4

 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ............... 17.2 16.9 17.1 17.6 12.1

 Production occupations ....................................................................... 7.4 7.6 7.0 8.0 6.4

 Transportation and material moving occupations ................................ 9.7 9.3 10.1 9.6 5.7

Men

 Total, 18 years and over (thousands) ................................................ 11,637 2,791 5,491 3,355 64,502

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

 Management, professional, and related occupations ............................ 33.8 30.2 36.4 32.6 31.9

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations ........... 17.8 13.2 20.3 17.7 15.3

 Professional and related occupations .................................................. 16.0 17.0 16.2 14.9 16.6

 Service occupations .............................................................................. 12.0 15.3 10.9 11.0 13.1

 Sales and office occupations ................................................................. 18.1 17.0 19.4 17.1 16.9

 Sales and related occupations ............................................................ 10.8 9.0 12.8 9.0 10.5

 Office and administrative support occupations .................................... 7.3 8.0 6.6 8.0 6.4

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ........... 18.0 18.9 15.9 20.7 20.2

 Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations .......................................... .5 .7 .6 .2 1.2

 Construction and extraction occupations ............................................. 9.2 9.0 8.1 11.2 12.5

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations .............................. 8.3 9.2 7.2 9.3 6.5

 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ............... 18.0 18.6 17.4 18.7 18.0

 Production occupations ....................................................................... 7.7 8.2 7.0 8.3 8.4

 Transportation and material moving occupations ................................ 10.3 10.4 10.3 10.3 9.6

Women

 Total, 18 years and over (thousands) ................................................ 957 393 157 407 63,424

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

 Management, professional, and related occupations ............................ 40.2 40.3 36.7 41.5 37.9

 Management, business, and financial operations occupations ........... 15.9 17.2 12.1 16.1 13.4

 Professional and related occupations .................................................. 24.3 23.1 24.6 25.4 24.5

 Service occupations .............................................................................. 14.9 14.6 12.4 16.2 20.2

 Sales and office occupations ................................................................. 32.6 35.5 39.5 27.0 34.6

 Sales and related occupations ............................................................ 8.7 9.7 9.2 7.6 12.0

 Office and administrative support occupations .................................... 23.8 25.9 30.3 19.4 22.6

 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations ........... 5.4 4.8 4.9 6.3 1.1

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

 Construction and extraction occupations ............................................. 2.6 3.6 2.3 1.8 .4

 Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations .............................. 2.8 1.1 – 4.4 .3

 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations ............... 6.9 4.7 6.6 9.0 6.1

 Production occupations ....................................................................... 4.5 3.0 6.3 5.2 4.3

 Transportation and material moving occupations ................................ 2.4 1.7 .2 3.8 1.8

 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. Occupations reflect the 2002

Census occupational classification system derived from the 2000

Standard Occupational Classification system. Dash represents or

rounds to zero.
Table 4. Employment status of veterans 18 years and over by period of service, presence of service-connected disability, 

reported disability rating, and sex, August 2005, not seasonally adjusted

(Numbers in thousands)

Period of service, presence of disability,

 reported disability rating, 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

With service-connected disability ............................................. 2,531 1,244 49.1 1,188 46.9 55 4.4 1,288

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 1,189 686 57.7 655 55.1 31 4.5 503

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 557 281 50.5 269 48.3 12 4.4 276

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 561 173 30.9 172 30.6 1 .9 388

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 225 103 45.9 92 41.1 11 10.4 122

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 17,450 9,785 56.1 9,384 53.8 401 4.1 7,665

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 3,421 2,076 60.7 2,021 59.1 55 2.6 1,345

Gulf War era

With service-connected disability ............................................. 642 532 82.9 503 78.4 29 5.4 110

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 318 281 88.5 271 85.3 10 3.6 37

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 163 131 80.5 123 75.7 8 6.0 32

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 112 83 73.5 81 72.1 1 1.8 30

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 49 38 1 ( ) 28 1 () 9 1 ( ) 12

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 2,496 2,222 89.0 2,106 84.4 116 5.2 274

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 722 603 83.5 575 79.6 28 4.7 119

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era

With service-connected disability ............................................. 1,405 443 31.5 429 30.5 14 3.2 962

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 617 253 41.0 241 39.1 11 4.5 364

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 290 84 29.0 83 28.5 2 2.0 206

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 357 58 16.2 58 16.2 – – 299

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 140 48 34.1 47 33.2 1 1 ( ) 92

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 10,317 4,577 44.4 4,399 42.6 178 3.9 5,740

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 1,805 829 45.9 820 45.4 9 1.0 976

Other service periods

With service-connected disability ............................................. 485 268 55.4 256 52.9 12 4.4 216

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 254 152 59.9 143 56.3 9 6.0 102

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 103 66 63.6 63 60.8 3 1 ( ) 38

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 92 33 35.8 33 35.8 – – 59

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 35 18 1 ( ) 18 1 ( ) – – 18

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 4,637 2,986 64.4 2,879 62.1 107 3.6 1,650

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 893 644 72.1 626 70.1 18 2.8 249

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Employment status of veterans 18 years and over by period of service, presence of service-connected disability, 

reported disability rating, and sex, August 2005, not seasonally adjusted—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Period of service, presence of disability,

 reported disability rating, 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

With service-connected disability ............................................. 2,330 1,127 48.4 1,080 46.3 47 4.2 1,203

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 1,096 625 57.0 599 54.7 25 4.1 471

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 494 248 50.2 235 47.7 12 5.0 246

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 521 157 30.0 157 30.0 – – 365

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 219 98 44.8 89 40.5 9 9.6 121

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 16,328 9,091 55.7 8,736 53.5 356 3.9 7,236

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 3,098 1,869 60.3 1,821 58.8 48 2.6 1,229

Gulf War era

With service-connected disability ............................................. 541 471 87.1 448 82.7 24 5.0 70

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 269 249 92.5 242 90.2 6 2.5 20

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 134 115 85.5 107 79.7 8 6.8 19

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 93 74 78.9 74 78.9 – – 20

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 45 34 1 ( ) 25 1 () 9 1 ( ) 11

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 2,112 1,948 92.2 1,853 87.7 95 4.9 164

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 600 516 85.9 490 81.7 25 4.9 85

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era

With service-connected disability ............................................. 1,361 425 31.2 413 30.3 12 2.8 936

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 594 239 40.3 229 38.6 10 4.2 355

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 277 81 29.3 80 28.7 2 2.0 196

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 351 58 16.5 58 16.5 – – 293

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 139 47 33.5 47 33.5 – – 92

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 9,985 4,463 44.7 4,291 43.0 171 3.8 5,522

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 1,721 792 46.0 787 45.7 5 .7 929

Other service periods

With service-connected disability ............................................. 428 231 54.0 219 51.2 12 5.2 197

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 234 137 58.6 128 54.7 9 6.6 97

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 82 52 62.8 49 59.3 3 1 ( ) 31

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 77 25 32.5 25 32.5 – – 52

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 35 17 1 ( ) 17 1 ( ) – – 18

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 4,232 2,681 63.4 2,592 61.2 89 3.3 1,551

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 777 561 72.3 544 70.1 17 3.1 215

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 4. Employment status of veterans 18 years and over by period of service, presence of service-connected disability, 

reported disability rating, and sex, August 2005, not seasonally adjusted—Continued

(Numbers in thousands)

Period of service, presence of disability,

 reported disability rating, 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

With service-connected disability ............................................. 201 116 57.9 109 54.0 8 6.8 85

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 92 61 66.2 56 60.6 5 1 ( ) 31

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 63 34 1 ( ) 34 1 ( ) – – 29

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 40 17 1 ( ) 15 1 () 1 1 ( ) 23

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 6 5 1 () 4 1 () 1 1 () 1

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 1,122 694 61.8 648 57.8 46 6.6 428

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 323 207 64.1 200 62.1 7 3.2 116

Gulf War era

With service-connected disability ............................................. 101 61 60.3 56 55.1 5 1 ( ) 40

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 385 274 71.2 253 65.8 21 7.6 111

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 122 87 71.7 84 69.2 3 3.4 35

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era

With service-connected disability ............................................. 44 18 1 ( ) 15 1 () 3 1 ( ) 25

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 332 114 34.4 107 32.3 7 6.0 218

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 84 37 43.8 34 40.1 3 1 ( ) 47

Other service periods

With service-connected disability ............................................. 57 37 1 ( ) 37 1 ( ) – – 19

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 405 305 75.4 288 71.0 18 5.9 100

Presence of disability not reported ........................................... 117 83 70.9 82 70.4 1 .6 34

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 75,000. 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. A service-connected

disability is a health condition or impairment caused or made worse by military

service. The associated disability rating, which can range from 0 to 100 percent,

is determined from a rating schedule published in the U.S. Code of Federal

Regulations, "Title 38." More detailed information appears in the Technical Note

of this release. Dash represents or rounds to zero. 
Table 5. Employed persons 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, presence of service-connected disability, 

and class of worker, August 2005, not seasonally adjusted

Veteran status, period of service, and 

presence of disability

Total

employed

(thousands)

Percent distribution by class of worker

Total

Agriculture

and related

industries

Nonagricultural industries

Total

Wage and salary workers

Selfemployed

and unpaid

family

workers

Private

sector

Government

Total Federal

State

and

local

Veterans 1 ................................................... 12,594 100.0 2.5 97.5 70.8 18.5 7.2 11.3 8.3

 With service-connected disability ........... 1,188 100.0 1.6 98.4 62.0 31.1 17.6 13.5 5.2

 Without service-connected disability ...... 9,384 100.0 2.6 97.4 71.7 16.8 5.8 11.0 8.9

Gulf War era 1 ............................................. 3,184 100.0 .8 99.2 74.1 21.9 9.8 12.1 3.2

 With service-connected disability ........... 503 100.0 .7 99.3 62.0 35.4 23.2 12.3 1.8

 Without service-connected disability ...... 2,106 100.0 .6 99.4 76.8 19.2 7.6 11.6 3.4

WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam era 1 ...... 5,647 100.0 3.6 96.4 68.0 17.5 6.4 11.0 11.0

 With service-connected disability ........... 429 100.0 3.2 96.8 59.7 27.7 12.3 15.4 9.4

 Without service-connected disability ...... 4,399 100.0 3.6 96.4 68.4 16.6 5.4 11.2 11.4

Other service periods 1 ............................... 3,762 100.0 2.2 97.8 72.2 17.1 6.0 11.1 8.6

 With service-connected disability ........... 256 100.0 .8 99.2 66.0 28.4 15.6 12.8 4.8

 Without service-connected disability ...... 2,879 100.0 2.5 97.5 73.2 15.2 5.0 10.2 9.1

Nonveterans ............................................... 127,926 100.0 1.6 98.4 78.1 13.7 2.1 11.6 6.6

1 Includes veterans who did not report presence of disability.

 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. A

service-connected disability is a health condition or impairment caused or

made worse by military service. The associated disability rating, which can

range from 0 to 100 percent, is determined from a rating schedule published

in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, "Title 38." More detailed information

appears in the Technical Note of this release.
Table 6. Employment status of veterans 18 years and over by year of discharge from the Armed Forces, sex, race, 

and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, August 2005, not seasonally adjusted

(Numbers in thousands)

Year of discharge, 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

Prior to 1971 ..................................... 9,917 3,042 30.7 2,902 29.3 140 4.6 6,875

1971 to 1980 ..................................... 3,497 2,664 76.2 2,573 73.6 91 3.4 834

1981 to 1990 ..................................... 2,192 1,894 86.4 1,834 83.7 60 3.2 298

1991 to 2001 ..................................... 2,488 2,200 88.4 2,126 85.4 75 3.4 288

2002 to 2005 ..................................... 792 681 86.0 600 75.8 81 11.9 110

Year not available ............................. 4,516 2,624 58.1 2,560 56.7 64 2.5 1,892

Men

Prior to 1971 ..................................... 9,638 3,007 31.2 2,869 29.8 137 4.6 6,632

1971 to 1980 ..................................... 3,299 2,511 76.1 2,427 73.6 84 3.4 788

1981 to 1990 ..................................... 1,938 1,673 86.4 1,626 83.9 47 2.8 264

1991 to 2001 ..................................... 2,100 1,916 91.2 1,849 88.1 67 3.5 184

2002 to 2005 ..................................... 674 606 89.9 546 81.0 60 9.9 68

Year not available ............................. 4,108 2,375 57.8 2,320 56.5 55 2.3 1,732

Women

Prior to 1971 ..................................... 279 36 12.8 33 11.8 3 1 ( ) 243

1971 to 1980 ..................................... 198 153 77.0 146 73.5 7 4.5 46

1981 to 1990 ..................................... 254 220 86.7 208 81.7 13 5.7 34

1991 to 2001 ..................................... 388 284 73.2 277 71.2 8 2.7 104

2002 to 2005 ..................................... 118 76 64.1 54 45.9 22 28.5 42

Year not available ............................. 408 249 60.9 240 58.8 9 3.6 160

White

Prior to 1971 ..................................... 9,252 2,829 30.6 2,705 29.2 123 4.4 6,423

1971 to 1980 ..................................... 3,047 2,320 76.1 2,255 74.0 64 2.8 728

1981 to 1990 ..................................... 1,792 1,538 85.8 1,502 83.8 37 2.4 254

1991 to 2001 ..................................... 2,005 1,783 88.9 1,716 85.6 68 3.8 222

2002 to 2005 ..................................... 631 552 87.5 501 79.4 51 9.3 79

Year not available ............................. 3,662 2,107 57.5 2,060 56.2 47 2.2 1,555

Black or African American

Prior to 1971 ..................................... 448 143 32.0 131 29.3 12 8.5 305

1971 to 1980 ..................................... 343 272 79.3 253 73.8 19 7.0 71

1981 to 1990 ..................................... 334 298 89.1 276 82.6 22 7.3 37

1991 to 2001 ..................................... 343 295 85.8 289 84.2 5 1.8 49

2002 to 2005 ..................................... 132 105 80.0 76 57.6 30 28.0 26

Year not available ............................. 655 396 60.5 386 58.9 10 2.6 259

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Prior to 1971 ..................................... 285 63 22.2 54 18.7 10 1 ( ) 222

1971 to 1980 ..................................... 150 118 78.6 114 76.4 3 2.8 32

1981 to 1990 ..................................... 107 85 79.4 83 77.4 2 2.6 22

1991 to 2001 ..................................... 129 109 84.5 108 83.8 1 .8 20

2002 to 2005 ..................................... 85 63 74.3 63 74.3 – – 22

Year not available ............................. 261 194 74.4 192 73.6 2 1.1 67

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 75,000. 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 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 and black or African American)

do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all race groups. In

addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be

of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race. 

Asians are not shown separately, as most estimates are too small to meet

publication standards. Dash represents or rounds to zero.
Table 7. Employment status of veterans 18 years and over by year of discharge from the Armed Forces, presence of

service-connected disability, and reported disability rating, August 2005, not seasonally adjusted

(Numbers in thousands)

Year of discharge, presence of disability,

 and reported disability rating

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

Prior to 1976

With service-connected disability ............................................. 1,235 317 25.6 304 24.6 13 4.0 918

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 587 183 31.2 175 29.8 8 4.4 404

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 231 51 22.3 48 20.9 3 1 ( ) 179

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 297 46 15.4 46 15.4 – 1 ( ) 251

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 120 36 30.1 35 29.0 1 1 ( ) 84

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 10,859 4,335 39.9 4,154 38.3 181 4.2 6,523

1976 to 1990

With service-connected disability ............................................. 471 275 58.4 261 55.5 14 5.0 196

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 231 174 75.4 162 70.0 12 7.1 57

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 125 71 56.8 70 55.9 1 1 ( ) 54

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 96 18 18.5 18 18.5 – – 78

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 18 12 1 ( ) 12 1 () – – 7

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 3,002 2,654 88.4 2,571 85.6 83 3.1 348

1991 to 2001

With service-connected disability ............................................. 579 475 82.0 467 80.7 8 1.6 104

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 289 266 92.2 263 91.0 3 1.3 23

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 135 103 76.5 99 73.3 4 4.2 32

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 119 80 67.5 80 67.5 – – 39

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 36 25 1 ( ) 25 1 ( ) – – 11

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 1,905 1,724 90.5 1,658 87.0 67 3.9 181

2002 to 2005

With service-connected disability ............................................. 167 143 85.7 122 73.0 21 14.8 24

 Less than 30 percent disability rating .................................. 58 50 1 ( ) 43 1 () 7 1 () 8

 30 to 50 percent disability rating .......................................... 58 52 1 ( ) 48 1 () 3 1 () 6

 60 percent or higher disability rating .................................... 39 29 1 ( ) 28 1 () 1 1 ( ) 10

 Disability rating not reported ................................................ 12 12 1 () 2 1 () 9 1 () 1

Without service-connected disability ........................................ 612 525 85.8 474 77.4 51 9.8 87

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 75,000. 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. Categories do not

add to totals shown on other tables because data are not shown for veterans

whose presence of disability was not reported, and because information on the

year of discharge was not available for approximately 4.5 million veterans. A

service-connected disability is a health condition or impairment caused or

made worse by military service. The associated disability rating, which can

range from 0 to 100 percent, is determined from a rating schedule published in

the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, "Title 38." More detailed information

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

zero. 
Table 8. Employment status of Gulf War era veterans by detailed period of service, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino

ethnicity, August 2005

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

Gulf War era, total ................................................ 3,861 3,358 87.0 3,184 82.5 173 5.2 503

 Gulf War era I ..................................................... 2,770 2,447 88.4 2,360 85.2 87 3.6 322

 Gulf War era II .................................................... 1,091 910 83.4 824 75.5 86 9.5 181

Men

Gulf War era, total ................................................ 3,253 2,935 90.2 2,791 85.8 144 4.9 318

 Gulf War era I ..................................................... 2,324 2,110 90.8 2,035 87.6 75 3.6 214

 Gulf War era II .................................................... 930 825 88.8 756 81.4 69 8.3 104

Women

Gulf War era, total ................................................ 608 422 69.5 393 64.7 29 6.9 185

 Gulf War era I ..................................................... 446 337 75.6 326 73.0 12 3.4 109

 Gulf War era II .................................................... 162 85 52.6 68 41.7 18 20.6 77

White

Gulf War era, total ................................................ 3,047 2,680 88.0 2,551 83.7 129 4.8 367

 Gulf War era I ..................................................... 2,180 1,951 89.5 1,877 86.1 74 3.8 229

 Gulf War era II .................................................... 868 730 84.1 674 77.7 55 7.6 138

Black or African American

Gulf War era, total ................................................ 614 506 82.4 466 75.9 40 7.9 108

 Gulf War era I ..................................................... 443 370 83.5 358 80.8 12 3.2 73

 Gulf War era II .................................................... 170 136 79.6 108 63.1 28 20.7 35

Asian

Gulf War era, total ................................................ 51 38 1 ( ) 35 1 () 2 1 ( ) 13

 Gulf War era I ..................................................... 33 26 1 ( ) 26 1 () – 1 () 7

 Gulf War era II .................................................... 18 12 1 () 9 1 () 2 1 () 6

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Gulf War era, total ................................................ 284 241 85.0 240 84.7 1 .3 43

 Gulf War era I ..................................................... 203 184 90.8 184 90.3 1 .5 19

 Gulf War era II .................................................... 80 57 70.5 57 70.5 – – 24

1 Ratios are not shown where the denominator is less than 75,000.

Small estimated levels are based on a small number of survey

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

 NOTE: Veterans of the Gulf War era are those who served from

August 1990 to the present. The era has been divided into two

sub-eras: Gulf War era I from August 1990 to August 2001 and Gulf War

era II from September 2001 to the present. Veterans who served in

both sub-eras are classified in the more recent one (sub-era II). 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

race groups. In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as

Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by

ethnicity as well as by race.

Table 9. Employment status of veterans with multiple wartime periods of service by selected combinations of periods,

August 2005

Periods of service

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 with multiple wartime periods of service ...... 812 264 32.6 258 31.8 6 2.3 547

 Gulf War era and Vietnam era ............................ 259 200 77.2 194 75.1 5 2.8 59

 Vietnam era and Korean war .............................. 206 46 22.1 46 22.1 – – 161

 Korean war and World War II ............................. 286 17 5.9 16 5.7 – – 269

 NOTE: Wartime veterans are men and women who served in the U.S.

Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam era, or

the Gulf War era. Categories do not add to totals because not all

combinations are shown. More detailed information appears in the

Technical Note of this release. Dash represents or rounds to zero.