Stop high unemployment among military veterans, Sen. Gillibrand says
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pushing for passage of legislation to combat high unemployment among military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"They have an unrivaled work ethic - but too many do not have a road map ... to help them leverage their skills," Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) told reporters in midtown Sunday.
The unemployment rate citywide among veterans who served in the military since 9/11 is 13.3% - painfully higher than the city's overall unemployment rate of 8.6%.
Gillibrand is a co-sponsor of the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, which would require all departing service members to receive job-search skills training through the federal government's Transition Assistance Program and would beef up TAP as well. Currently, participation is voluntary - and up to one-third of those leaving the military don't take part.
Vets who back the bill spoke of their frustrations in trying to convince civilian employers that they're good hires.
"Many warriors, coming home, find themselves fighting a new war," said Abbas Malik, 27, a Specialist in the Army Reserves. He served in Iraq for 16 months - then reenlisted and returned for a second tour of duty because he wanted to help support his brother, who had cancer.
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