According to the June 5, 2026, news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for all veterans dropped from 3.7% in April to 3.2% in May.
The two (2) biggest factors causing this drop of .5% were: (1) the gains women veterans made in the workforce; and (2) unrealized predictions that artificial intelligence (AI) would cause lay-offs in the private sector.
Before the Bureau of Labor Report was released, Andy Challenger, a Labor and Workplace Expert, noted that, “AI is now the leading reason companies give for cutting jobs and the primary industry citing it is technology.”
The unemployment rate for the post-9/11 veterans increased from 4.0% (in April) to 4.1% (in May). However, the unemployment rate was still down from a high of 4.5% in March.
The statistics reveal a continuing improvement among the 2.1 million women veterans during the last three (3) month period. The March unemployment rate dropped from 7.1% to 4.4% in April. The rate further fell to only 3.3% in May.
According to statistics, it was in January of 2019 when the unemployment rate for women veterans was less than that of male veterans. At that time, male veterans had an unemployment rate of 3.0%, while women veterans had a jobless rate of 2.7%.
Why are women veterans experiencing a lower rate of unemployment? According to the Chief Economist for the Navy Federal Credit Union, Heather Long, more employers are now cognizant that women veterans “make excellent employees.”
“Employers recognize the value of having veterans” on the payroll, said Kevin Rasch, the Regional Director of the Warriors to Work. “They bring a lot of value to the table,” and that recognition was now being given to women veterans.
My Opinion: It is good to see that the unemployment rate of women veterans has taken a significant decrease in the last three (3) months.
While experts, such as Heather Long, credit this decline to a feeling that employers now have that women veterans “make excellent employees,” perhaps another reason should be considered.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has issued “cautionary notes” that the women veterans’ data is generated from a smaller sample size than the male veterans’ data. The BLS indicates this data as “susceptible to greater fluctuations.”
Another factor contained in the BLS was the introduction of “AI” into the labor force and how it will impact the hiring process, especially for male and female veterans.
While “AI” looms as a significant threat to the existing labor, another more dangerous threat is “automation” and “robotics,” but these two (2) topics are more complex to discuss in just this article.
Many active-duty military personnel are worried about transitioning back to civilian jobs. Many of these veterans have sustained visible and invisible disabilities due to their military service.
Now they fear that they are at a disadvantage in the civilian job market because of “AI.” Everyone should be aware that “AI” is not going away!
The military’s transitioning-to-civilian-life programs should train our veterans in the fundamental basics of “AI” that will “level the playing ground” when our veterans enter the private sector.
John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the Adjutant of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter #63 (Clermont County). His email address is: plahovinsak@msn.com.
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