Unexpected hiring surge drives down unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans

The unexpected surge of 162,000 jobs added to payrolls last month drove the unemployment rate for the post-9/11 generation of veterans down more than a full percentage point from 4.7% in July to 3.5% in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

The unemployment rate for all veterans also came down from 4.2% in July to 3.4% in August — compared to the overall unemployment rate of…