February 2, 2006
Media contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093

(Washington, DC) With a booming national economy and the highest employment levels in six years, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs today called for an urgent and better effort to help those returning from the war on terror find work.

The comments of Chairman Larry Craig (R-Idaho) came at a hearing Thursday concerning the high unemployment rate for young veterans ? those ages 20 to 24. Veterans in that age range now have an unemployment rate of over 15 percent ? nearly twice the rate of their non-veteran peers.

[To see pictures from the hearing, click here: 2006 - February 2 - Employment hearing.]

The numbers of young unemployed veterans has grown dramatically since the start of military operations in Afghanistan, and that trend caused Craig to express frustration to the Department of Labor's Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training, Charles Ciccolella. His agency plans to provide $162 million in federal grants to state agencies this year to help veterans find work.

Witnesses at the hearing joined the chairman in expressing serious concerns about whether those funds will be used to help veterans most in need ? particularly recently separated veterans - find jobs.

"These rising unemployment numbers for these young veterans are startling to say the least, and we are going to keep coming back at you again, and again, and again, until you either get it right or we fix it for you through legislation," said Craig.

"This trend of rising unemployment suggests to me that we ? as a nation ? must do more to help these young veterans succeed in the civilian job market. Much of that help must continue to come from leaders in the business community and in the public sector who recognize the distinct advantages of hiring former servicemembers."

One of Craig's colleagues, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) pointed to The Home Depot corporation as a model which other American businesses should follow. In 2004 it hired more than 16,000 former military personnel, and it hired even more veterans in 2005.

But while some private companies are doing more, all the witnesses at the Senate hearing pointed to a wide variety of changes in government policies that might help.

"Clearly there is no one answer. It's going to take a multipronged approach," said Sen. Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), a member of the committee.

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