Intrepid Museum Hosts Veteran Job Fair

NEW YORK—A large-scale veteran job fair was held on Wednesday at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum as part of the Hiring Our Heroes initiative.

More than 100 employers were present and more than 1,300 veterans attended the event, according to NBC and WNYC.

According to a study by the Department of Labor, in 2010, “the jobless rate for veterans of all eras combined was 8.7 percent, compared with 9.4 percent for nonveterans.”

The study adds that nearly 22 percent of young male veterans, who served after September 2001, are unemployed.

A 2009 report on New York veteran unemployment from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand states that almost 15 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are unemployed. It estimated there were 17,300 unemployed veterans in New York City.

Hiring Our Heroes was launched in March last year by the Chamber of Commerce to help veterans and military spouses find employment. Since its launch, more than 120 job fairs have been hosted in 45 states and the District of Columbia and more than 9,000 veterans have found jobs.

Capital One, Monster/Military.com, TODAY, NBC News, the Call of Duty Endowment, Entergy, General Electric, the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (DOL VETS), the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), NYCares, and the American Legion co-hosted the event along with the U.S. Chamber.