President Donald Trump claimed on Twitter that veteran unemployment has hit an 18-year low.
From CheckYourFact.com:
“Just announced that Veterans unemployment has reached an 18 year low, really good news for our Vets and their families,” he tweeted Tuesday.
Verdict: True
The annual unemployment rate for veterans reached 3.5 percent in 2018, the lowest rate since 2000.
Fact Check:
Trump often touts low unemployment rates – for Hispanics, blacks, women – but he hasn’t mentioned veterans as frequently. The national unemployment rate stood at 3.9 percent in December, but how did veterans fare?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports unemployment data for veterans monthly, but the numbers aren’t seasonally adjusted like most employment data. The agency advised The Daily Caller to analyze the annual rate over time.
On an annual basis, the unemployment rate for veterans fell to 3.5 percent in 2018, down from a post-recession peak of 8.7 percent in 2010. The only year with a lower unemployment rate was 2000 – the first year BLS started tracking veteran unemployment data.
