In honor of Veterans Day in the US, we're focusing this week's Talent and HR News Weekly Update on veterans and jobs. Here are some recent articles about the two topics as they relate to each other. And don't miss Susan's post on our own blog this week about veterans. Happy weekend!

1) Obama’s Veterans Day message focuses on jobs from Washington Post

"President Obama focused his Veterans Day remarks on the growing ranks of former troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and are now searching for new ways to serve their country at home. “We’re in the midst of a new wave of American veterans,” said Obama, referring to a generation of men and women who have weathered the longest stretch of war in U.S. history. Those veterans have struggled in recent years to get care from an overwhelmed Department of Veterans Affairs. They’ve faced a higher unemployment rate than their civilian peers and an increase in suicides."

2) Unemployment for veterans at lowest level in 7 years from CNBC

"The unemployment rate for veterans has dropped to its lowest level in seven years, thanks to an all-hands-on-deck push by government and corporate America to hire veterans. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the jobless rate for veterans — a population of nearly 20 million— dropped to 3.9 percent in October, down from 4.3 percent a month earlier and 4.5 percent a year ago. This is its lowest level in seven years."

3) 8 Tips for Soldiers Looking to Conquer the Civilian Job Market from Time

"For many veterans, the fear of not landing solid employment overshadows everything: 69% say that finding a job outside the service is a challenge, according to Prudential Financial Services. Fortunately, employers often seek out the leadership and organizational skills that vets have to offer. The average unemployment rate for veterans is now just 4.3%, compared with 5.1% nationally."

4) 10 Things to Know About Job Searching as a Veteran from US News & World Report

"Last spring, Monster and Military.com surveyed military professionals, human resources professionals and hiring managers throughout the nation for insightful perspectives from both job seeker and employer viewpoints. The Veterans Talent Index results revealed stability and improvement among veteran job seekers and employers alike. In addition, career confidence and job seeker activity are improving compared with survey results from last year."

5) Many veterans found to hide injuries in civilian jobs from The Boston Globe

"Almost one-third of US veterans in civilian jobs hide their war injuries from employers and many downplay their military service to get along with co-workers, according to a new study by the Center for Talent Innovation. Minority veterans are more uneasy at work than whites, the survey said. More than 40 percent of Hispanic veterans said they try to mask their experience as soldiers to avoid being judged as gun-loving or aggressive. About 57 percent of working veterans don’t aspire to move up in their jobs; 39 percent of those who do feel stalled."

Lexi Gordon is a Lead Consultant for exaqueo, a workforce consultancy that helps organizations build their cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact exaqueo to learn more about our employer brand innovation, workforce research, and recruiting strategy offerings.