As the national unemployment rate ticked downward in April, so did the percentage of veterans without jobs, according to federal data released Friday.

The largest decrease was among veterans of the Gulf War era, whose unemployment rate last month hit a record low of 1.8 percent. Post-9/11 veterans saw a slight decrease to 4.9 percent from 5 percent in March.

The unemployment rate for veterans of all generations decreased from 4.1 percent to 3.7 percent, on par with last year’s annual average, which was also a record low. Comparatively, the unemployment rate for nonveterans dropped from 4 percent to 3.5, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

Experts warn against putting too much stock in the monthly veteran unemployment numbers, which can be volatile since the data is drawn from a smaller sample size than the overall population.

Nationally, the April unemployment rate was 3.9 percent after six months at 4.1 percent. The U.S. added 164,000 jobs, primarily in the professional and business services, manufacturing, health care and mining fields.

About Natalie Gross

Military Times contributor and former reporter Natalie Gross hosts the Spouse Angle podcast. She grew up in a military family and has a master's degree in journalism from Georgetown University.

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