Often as a result of physical injuries or post-traumatic stress, returning war veterans may find it more difficult than civilians to land jobs. And with the unemployment rate still at a high 8.2 percent, they need every ounce of help they can finding work.
President Barack Obama's recently signed bill, the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, provides such assistance, offering a series to tax credits for employers who hire full-time, part-time or temporary workers with a military history, Warrior Care Blog reports.
Specifically, businesses can receive a tax credit of up to $5,600 for each post-9/11 veteran they hire that's been unemployed and looking for work in the past six months. Businesses are also eligible for a credit for $2,400 for hiring a veteran who has been unemployed for more than four weeks.
In addition to these incentives, on-the-job training programs will be offered to new veteran hires to get them assimilated back into the workforce.
Veterans of Foreign Wars notes that the U.S. Department of Labor and Veteran Affairs recently began accepting applications for the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, offered via the VOW act. Unemployed veterans who are eligible for VRAP (between ages of 35 and 60) can receive an additional 12 months of education benefits to develop new job skills.
