Veterans hiring sees boost in fiscal 2010

Federal agencies increased the hiring of veterans by about 3.5 percentage points in the first half of fiscal 2010 compared to the same period of the previous year, senior Obama administration officials said on Thursday.

During a meeting of the Council on Veterans Employment, a federal partnership chaired by the secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs, government leaders said agencies hired more than 32,800 veterans during the first six months of fiscal 2010. Veterans were 30.2 percent of total new hires during that time compared to 26.8 percent in the first half of fiscal 2009.

"These employment outcomes show how seriously agencies are taking this initiative," said Ray Jefferson, assistant secretary for veterans employment and training at the Labor Department. "There is still much work to do, but it's clear that the federal government is up to the task."

The council also announced a new model to guide employment initiatives. Benchmarks will be based on agencies' current percentage of veterans hired, and those with lower percentages will face higher goals.

The Veterans Employment Council and Veterans Employment Initiative were established under a November 2009 executive order to increase interagency collaboration on veterans hiring, match them with job openings and help them navigate the application process. The council developed a strategic hiring plan and in January launched www.FedsHireVets.gov, an information portal on veterans employment.

"The jobless rate among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is unacceptably high," VA Deputy Secretary Scott Gould said. "The federal government wants to hire veterans because of their experience, leadership skills and commitment to our country. Working together, we can do a lot of good for our veterans and for our nation."