Unemployment among veterans twice as high as national average, veterans fund director says
Unemployment has always been one of society's biggest problems, but for veterans it is particularly acute, Ruslana Velychko-Tryfoniuk, acting executive director of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, writes in her column for NV on Nov. 4.
According to a survey conducted by the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, 77.5% of veterans surveyed indicated that they would face future problems finding a job after returning from the front. This is twice as much as the average unemployment rate in the country.
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"These figures are alarming, because veterans are people who have a lot of experience, military discipline and many other qualities that can be useful in the workplace," notes Velychko-Tryfoniuk.
“However, as practice shows, many employers are not ready to give veterans a chance.”
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On the one hand, 97% of employers say they are ready to hire veterans, but on the other hand, the vast majority (65.05%) of employers surveyed still have no experience working with veterans, and only 18.1% of them have special programs to adapt veterans to the workplace.
"This shows that many companies are not ready to invest efforts and resources in the adaptation of veterans, despite their potential," Velychko-Tryfoniuk wrote.
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“The situation is further complicated by the fact that many veterans face stereotypes and prejudices from employers. There is an opinion that veterans are people with psychological problems who can be unpredictable in the workplace. However, such stereotypes are not true and only prevent veterans from finding work.”
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