Vet rate lower than national average.

• Position: Unemployment

Veterans of the most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made tremendous strides over the last four years when it comes to employment. While they are doing better as a group than the overall population, an analysis of government data shows that they still lag slightly behind veterans from the first Gulf War. The study, released by global outplacement and employee coaching consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., Chicago, III., highlights just how in demand the skills and experience possessed by veterans are as the economy continues to improve.

As of September, the unemployment rate among Gulf War-era II veterans was five percent, just below the national average of 5.1%. Two years ago, the unemployment rate among these veterans was 10.1%. In January 2011, it peaked at 15.2%. Even more impressive is the fact that this group has managed to achieve a participation rate of 81%. The participation rate among all Americans age 16 and older is 62%; for those 20 years old and up, 71%. Despite the gains, veterans of the most recent conflicts have not quite pulled even with those from the first Gulf War. They, too, have a high participation rate of 81% but, of the 2,800,000 of these veterans in the civilian labor force, just 3.2% are unemployed.

'The success of both groups emphasizes just how much these veterans bring to the employment table. Most entered military service right out of high school and, while many might have planned to enjoy a full career with the military, they are at least coming out of the service with skills and experience that are in high demand," says John A. Challenger, CEO.

The drawdown of two wars and the Obama Administration's push to make deep cuts in defense spending forced many men and women from the military earlier than expected. For instance, in 2005, the Air...