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2021 Veterans hiring benchmark set at 5.6 percent
Effective March 31, 2021, the new Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) hiring benchmark is 5.6%. Today, OFCCP updated the VEVRAA Hiring Benchmark Database with the new benchmark information.
The following chart shows the percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force (OFCCP benchmark) and the effective dates. Since the inception of the benchmarks, the annual percentages have decreased from 6.4% to 5.6%.
| Effective Date Range | National Percentage of Veterans in the Civilian Labor Force |
| 3/31/2021 | 5.6% |
| 3/31/2020 – 3/30/2021 | 5.7% |
| 3/31/2019 – 3/30/2020 | 5.9% |
| 3/31/2018 – 3/30/2019 | 6.4% |
The decreasing percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force is a reflection of factors such as the aging of the workforce, as veterans retire, as well as the decreasing size of the military. While there should continue to be a steady stream of veterans entering the workforce, as worldwide conflicts in which the U.S. military participates wind down, there should continue to be some number of recently separated and disabled veterans entering the labor force.
As the veteran benchmark continues to decrease contractors will be competing for the same pool of qualified veterans, increasing the importance of outreach efforts to attract and hire qualified veterans. The new benchmark will be effective for AAPs developed after March 31, 2021. OutSolve offers a variety of job listing and veteran outreach services. For more information contact us at info@outsolve.com or 888.414.2410.