Employ a Vet Week can help thousands in NC

This week is Employ a Vet Week across the state, encouraging employers to consider hiring veterans.

With six major military bases in the state, the Armed Forces pump millions of dollars into local economies. More than 20,000 veterans leave the military every year in North Carolina, many looking for work.

With a ten percent unemployment rate, at least one thousand vets in the greater Wilmington area are trying to find jobs.

“These folks have proven themselves quite often in combat. They’ve proven they have the soft skills they need, being to work on time, understanding how to work with supervisors, and subordinates,” said veterans employment consultant Dan Peninger.

Frank Roberts, a construction company president said, “When you hire a veteran, you’re going to get somebody who’s on time, used to working and completing a mission, completing a task, they’re going to be loyal to you and they’re going to fulfill whatever task it is that you assign them.”

Each year, the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina is successful in placing nearly 18,000 veterans in new jobs.