Military vets returning to the workforce do so at a difficult time. However, this Veterans Day, new data highlight private-sector firms that are eager to hire military veterans despite the slowdown in job creation.

Although private-sector hiring is slowly improving — employment in the private sector has risen by 1.1 million since December 2009 — military veterans returning to the workforce today do so at a difficult time, with unemployment still high and rising competition for fewer openings in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest veteran employment data, the overall unemployment rate for veterans reached 8.3 percent in October.

“While unemployment nationwide still hovers around 10 percent, even companies with suppressed immediate hiring needs continue to reach into military talent pools when they want to increase staff or maintain employee levels by offsetting attrition,” according to an announcement from post-military career development publication G.I. Jobs this week. “Why? Because highly skilled and reliable veterans can hit the ground running, and have the dedication, skills and training needed to get any job done.”

The U.S. military produces nearly 400,000 new civilian workers annually. In 2009, there were 9.8 million veterans aged 18-64 in the labor force.

Last year, 26 percent of veterans aged 25 and older had at least a bachelor’s degree — compared with 28 percent of the total population with a bachelor’s degree or higher. In addition to education, veterans’ values, problem-solving skills and general experience learned during their time enlisted make it clear that the military is one of the largest — and arguably one of the most valuable — sources of renewable, skilled talent in the country.

Yesterday G.I. Jobs released its Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers list for 2011, highlighting private-sector firms eager to hire military veterans despite the slowdown in job creation.

In its eighth year, the 2011 list was drawn from a sample of 5,000 companies each with annual revenues exceeding $500 million. Criteria included the strength of the companies’ military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service and company policies toward National Guard and Reserve service.

“Across all industries, from struggling banks to burgeoning energy firms, corporate America is capitalizing on acquiring military talent,” G.I. Jobs determined.

Industries represented at the top of the list include transportation, industrial products, insurance and retail. Not surprisingly, defense companies constitute the bulk of the top 15 military-friendly U.S. employers:

1. Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (Defense)
2. ManTech International (Defense)
3. CSX Corporation (Transportation)
4. URS (Defense)
5. CACI International Inc. (Defense)
6. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (Transportation)
7. Johnson Controls, Inc. (Industrial Products)
8. USAA (Insurance)
9. Northrop Grumman Corporation (Defense)
10. Lockheed Martin Corporation (Defense)
11. Dyncorp International (Defense)
12. Union Pacific Railroad Company (Transportation)
13. The Home Depot (Retail)
14. Cubic Applications, Inc. (Defense)
15. CINTAS Corporation (Diversified Services)

(View the complete list.)

“This list serves to disprove a populist notion that veterans are having difficulty finding jobs when leaving the military,” according to G.I. Jobs general manager Chris Hale, who notes that interest in hiring military veterans has never been higher.

“This isn’t about charity or patriotism. It’s about good business,” Rich McCormack, who heads G.I. Jobs’ list research, says. “The companies on our list understand that.”

“We can honor these heroes for their sacrifices, while the business community will benefit from their technical expertise, leadership skills and dedication,” according to LTG (Ret.) Daniel W. Christman, a senior counselor at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This week, the Chamber of Commerce and and National Chamber Foundation’s third annual Hiring for Heroes: Business Steps Up event emphasized that both public- and private-sector organizations can make a difference in the lives of American military men and women transitioning from service to employment.

ManTech, No. 2 on the list, actively recruits military veterans to fill a number of positions, particularly those in logistics and supply-chain management, cyber security, systems engineering, intelligence analysis, software/IT support, space and satellite communications, and other key areas. Approximately 50 percent of the national-security technology provider’s current employees are veterans or have military backgrounds. Many of them continue to serve in the U.S. National Guard and Reserves during their tenure with the company.

“ManTech highly values the unique technical and leadership skills military veterans bring to the workforce because they provide a strong foundation for careers that further support our nation’s security and prosperity,” ManTech CEO George J. Pedersen said in a statement. “The contributions that these men and women have made to our nation’s security give them the knowledge and experience necessary to best support our defense and intelligence customers.”

Ranked No. 12 on G.I. Jobs’ 2011 list, Union Pacific actively seeks to employ vets: its HR group relies on a military-specific recruiting plan that includes involvement at military transition and education offices, reserve units, military panels, National Guard units, career fairs, information sessions, employer panels, résumé-review assistance and serving on local military committees and boards.

“They continue to represent the meaning of strong work ethics and extraordinary work experience,” Barb Schaefer, senior VP of HR at No. 12-ranked Union Pacific, said of veterans in a statement. “We are proud to have veterans choosing to make a career of railroading.”

The railroad company offers a wide range of job opportunities that lend themselves to employees with military backgrounds, including train crew, diesel mechanics, diesel electricians, assistant signal workers and track laborers, while offering leadership opportunities through its Operations Management Training Program. More than 10,000 Union Pacific employees are veterans.

According to John Lucas, senior VP of human resources for No. 10-ranked Lockheed Martin, more than 1,200 of the aerospace and defense firm’s employees are currently in the Armed Forces and 25,000 veterans are part of Lockheed Martin’s workforce.

G.I. Jobs’ Hale takes issue with what he calls inaccurate attention given to high unemployment rates for America’s young veterans, citing the fact that some young veterans opt to take a break or return to college before starting a civilian career. “Given the operational tempo we’re putting our troops through,” he says in the announcement of the 2011 list, “wouldn’t you?”

Related

Job Opportunities for Military Veterans

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Resources

The Employment Situation – October 2010
U.S. Department of Labor, Nov. 5, 2010

Employment Status of the Civilian Population 18 Years and Over by Veteran Status…
U.S. Department of Labor, Nov. 5, 2010 (last updated)

2009 American Community Survey
U.S. Census Bureau

Top 100 Military Friendly Employers
G.I. Jobs, Nov. 10, 2010

…American Businesses Hire Military Talent as a Smart Choice in a Troubled Economy
G.I. Jobs, Nov. 10, 2010

As Veterans Day Approaches, U.S. Chamber Promotes Employment of Our Returning Heroes
U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Chamber Foundation, Nov. 10, 2010

ManTech Ranked No. 2 on G.I. Jobs’ 2011 Military Friendly Employers List
ManTech International, Nov. 10, 2010

‘G.I. Jobs’ Names Union Pacific One of America’s Top Military-Friendly Employers
Union Pacific Railroad, Nov. 10, 2010