Unemployment higher among young war veterans

[David]

AP


WASHINGTON – The Labor Department says the unemployment rate for young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans was 21.1 percent last year.

That's well above the 16.6 percent jobless rate for non-veterans of the same ages, 18 to 24.

Difficulty finding work can make the adjustment to life back home even more challenging for war veterans. Some have struggled with addictions and homelessness.

For veterans of all ages from the recent wars, the unemployment rate was 10.2 percent.

The national unemployment rate last year was 9.3 percent, the highest since 1983.