As the most recent and youngest veteran cohort, Post-9/11 veterans represent a large and growing segment of the veteran population. Among veterans, they are the group who are most likely to be engaged in the labor force today. Yet they also face job markets that are very different from those experienced by veterans of the Vietnam Era or Gulf War when they returned to civilian life.

To better understand the labor market experiences of Post-9/11 veterans, this report looks at their employment, earnings, and occupations between 2014 and 2018. This report focuses on the civilian, noninstitutionalized population between the ages of 18 and 54. Of the 154.4 million people from this population from 2014–2018, about 3 million were Post-9/11 veterans. 

The data in this report come from the 2014–2018 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, which pools 5 years of respondent data together to provide better estimates of subgroups, such as detailed occupations. The report also uses the 2018 Census Occupation Code List, which provides an updated look at the occupations of Post-9/11 veterans.