Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the unemployment rate for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have dropped below the national average for the first time in four years. Since June of last year, the unemployment rate for veterans has fallen by more than 2 percent. Analysts point to veteran hiring initiatives by big corporations such as Walmart, Capitol One and Home Depot as an explanation for the bump in numbers. The rate for female veterans however stood at 8.9 percent in June, juxtaposing the 6.8 percent rate for their male counterparts.
See "New war vet unemployment rate dips, but doubts remain", Joshua Norman, CBS News, July 24, 2013