1 in 5 U.S. employers planning to hire veterans over next 12 months: Survey

IT, customer service, engineering skills most in demand

Although they are battling a higher than average unemployment rate, those returning from military duty and re-entering the workforce may find better employment prospects over the next year.

One in five (20 per cent) United States employers reported they are actively recruiting U.S. veterans to work for their organizations over the next 12 months and 14 per cent are actively recruiting members of the National Guard, according to a survey of 2,800 employers by CareerBuilder.

Employers are planning to tap into the technical and communications skills and leadership abilities of U.S. service men and women. More than one-third (36 per cent) of employers plan to hire for IT positions, which topped the list of hot areas for hiring U.S. veterans, followed by customer service (28 per cent), engineering (25 per cent) and sales (22 per cent).

"The unemployment rate for veterans who left military service over the last decade continues to outpace that of the civilian workforce," said Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America. "After fighting for their country, they come home fighting for jobs. The survey shows that employers recognize the unique value military experience can bring, but that they don't always understand how military skills fit into corporate America. "

Two in five employers (41 per cent) said it can be difficult to decipher how military experience fits into civilian positions. And 27 per cent said one of the biggest challenges in recruiting veterans in they don’t always market their military experience to showcase their accomplishments, found the survey.

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