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Veteran Jobs 2026: Unemployment Data and Defense Industry Careers

Veteran jobs data: unemployment rose to 3.5% in 2025, BLS says. Where the gaps are, what aerospace technicians earn, and how SkillBridge opens defense doors.

ByPeter
Technician in safety glasses connects gauges inside an open panel on a gray helicopter in a bright hangar
AI-generated illustration

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2026 — Veteran unemployment rose last year. The jobless rate for all veterans rose from 3.0% in 2024 to 3.5% in 2025, still below the 4.2% rate for nonveterans, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its annual Employment Situation of Veterans release on April 28, 2026. For veterans weighing a move into the defense industry, or searching for veteran jobs more broadly, federal programs and labor data point to where the openings are and how to reach them.

What the BLS data show

According to BLS, 17.3 million Americans were veterans in 2025, and about 294,000 of them were unemployed. The largest group, 5.6 million, served during what BLS calls Gulf War-era II, from September 2001 to the present; their jobless rate was little changed at 3.6%.

The averages hide gaps. BLS reported that:

  • Female veterans had a 4.6% unemployment rate, compared with 3.3% for male veterans.
  • Female Gulf War-era II veterans ages 25 to 34 had an 8.1% rate, compared with 4.2% for nonveteran women of the same age.
  • Black veterans’ unemployment rate rose to 5.0%, higher than the rates for White or Asian veterans.

BLS also noted a data caveat: the October 2025 household survey was not collected during the federal government shutdown, so 2025 averages cover 11 months and are not strictly comparable with other years.

Disability ratings and work

In August 2025, 34% of all veterans and half of Gulf War-era II veterans reported a service-connected disability, BLS said. Among post-9/11 veterans, 85.1% of those rated below 30% were in the labor force, compared with 64.7% of those rated 60% or higher.

Government remains a major employer of veterans. BLS found 16.2% of employed Gulf War-era II veterans worked for the federal government, against 2.1% of nonveterans, and 38.7% of employed veterans with a service-connected disability worked in federal, state or local government.

Defense industry jobs that fit military skills

The defense and aerospace industry builds the systems many veterans used in uniform, from the UH-60M Black Hawk to APKWS laser-guided rockets. One occupation BLS profiles in detail shows the pay and requirements involved.

Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians, who install, test and maintain equipment for aircraft and spacecraft, earned a median $82,890 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. In aerospace product and parts manufacturing, the median was $94,910. BLS projects 12% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3% for all occupations, and cites small satellites, new aircraft types and drones as drivers.

Most of these jobs call for an associate degree in engineering technology, though BLS says some employers accept a high school diploma or certificate. Some positions require a security clearance, and U.S. citizenship may be required for certain clearance levels, the handbook says. That is one area where veterans who held clearances in service may already have relevant experience.

Getting in before leaving the service

The Defense Department’s SkillBridge program lets service members train or intern with civilian employers during their last 180 days of service. A Government Accountability Office review found that participation is voluntary, requires chain-of-command approval and ethics training, and is open to enlisted members and officers of any rank. GAO counted almost 12,000 participants in the first half of fiscal 2024, about 83% of them enlisted, mostly in grades E-4 to E-6.

The program’s official site listed 12,002 position announcements and 6,614 providers in the first quarter of 2026. GAO also found the services did not consistently collect data on outcomes, and DOD expected to publish updated guidance by Sept. 30, 2026.

Before separation, the interagency Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is mandatory. The Labor Department’s TAP office says it serves more than 200,000 service members leaving the military each year and offers a two-day employment workshop on résumés, networking and negotiating, plus an optional two-day vocational track for exploring credentials.

What it means

Analysis: Veterans as a group still had lower unemployment than nonveterans in 2025, so the sharper warning signs are among younger women veterans and Black veterans. For defense work, the BLS requirements suggest that hands-on maintenance experience pairs best with a technical credential and, for some roles, a clearance. Our military technology report covers the drone and aerospace programs behind that demand.

This article is general information, not career, legal or financial advice.

FAQ

What is the veteran unemployment rate? BLS put it at 3.5% for all veterans in 2025, compared with 4.2% for nonveterans.

Can I do a defense industry internship while still on active duty? Through SkillBridge, eligible service members can train with approved employers during their final 180 days, with command approval, according to GAO.

Do defense jobs require a security clearance? Some do. BLS says certain aerospace technician roles on national defense projects require a clearance, and citizenship may be required.

Where can I find TAP classes? The Labor Department directs service members to their installation TAP office and the tapevents.mil schedule.

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