As unemployment rises and federal cutbacks ripple through the workforce, many veterans are facing renewed job insecurity.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is stepping up — by hosting nationwide job fairs and entrepreneurship programs that help veterans and military families build stable careers.
“It’s an area we see where we see an opportunity to make a tremendous impact,” said Marine and Air Force veteran Dan Clare, DAV chief communications & outreach officer.
DAV hosts about 100 job fairs annually, according to Clare. The next DAV Job Fair is scheduled to take place virtually on Nov. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern.
“We find out through these job fairs that there are a lot of people who want to hire veterans,” he said. “We try to make sure that only those folks who want to hire veterans are at all our career fairs.”
Among the employers expected at Tuesday’s job fair are AT&T, Wells Fargo, Customs and Border Protection, and other federal agencies.
“We’ve got a lot of great companies showing up,” Clare said. “They want to hire veterans, they want to hire our spouses, they want to hire our kids.”
According to the Department of Labor, in August, the veteran employment rate was 3.1 percent, up from 3.0 percent in July and down from 3.4 percent in 2024.
Clare said the job fairs are great building blocks and a way for veterans to build their networks as they transition out of the service or if they feel they are underemployed.
“Veterans are there to really contribute to a team, to be part of something exciting. That’s what they are used to, being in the military,” he said.
To learn more about the DAV’s job fairs and to register for Tuesday’s fair, visit here.
“There’s all kinds of reasons to go,” added Clare. “The biggest reason I can offer to veterans especially, is if you need a job, it’s where you need to be. It’s almost like coming down on you like a first sergeant.”
For military and veteran entrepreneurs ready to grow their business, DAV’s Patriot Boot Camp offers world-class mentorship, educational programming, and a supportive network of peers and experts.
“You are going to get the groundwork you need to succeed in your business,” he said. “We’re going to talk about funding, we’re going to talk about capitalizing your business, legal issues.”
The next DAV Patriot Boot is being held Feb. 11-13 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. To register, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.