A new study reported by the military news outlet Stars and Stripes ranks Houston as the number one city in the country for job-seeking veterans. Dallas and Austin rank second and fifth among major metropolitan cities.
The rankings, put together by the USAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are the sunnier side of an issue affecting many veterans: finding employment after service ends.
According to 2012 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterans age 18 to 24 have a 20 percent unemployment rate. The unemployment rate for nonveterans of the same age? Just over 16 percent.
Houston garnered its top-place ranking “because of its low unemployment, high job creation numbers, reasonable cost-of-living and connections to industries that value military skills, like energy and transportation,” writes Stars and Stripes.
In Texas, the state Veterans Commission offers a number of employment services, including statewide outreach offices and career fairs.
