Aug 5, 2009 5:02 pm US/Central
Economy Makes Job Search Tough For Vets
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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The Helmets to Hardhats job fair gave veterans an opportunity to find employment opportunites.
CBS
Many local veterans are coming back from war, but CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports that many of them are facing a new battle as they try to find work in this tough economy.
Daisy Morrison is a jobless veteran who did security in the military but can't get a job doing security in civilian life.
Morrison spent almost four years in the Marines, and six months in Iraq, but she hasn't been able to find work since she got home in December, partially because of a past shoplifting charge.
"I'm struggling a little bit, just because of that," she said.
Many returning veterans face other obstacles like medical conditions, mental health problems and its all made worse by a tough economy. Chicago National Guard veteran Manuel Esparza, who served in Iraq, just left active duty last week and he says he's finding the job market to be rough.
That's why Esparza wasted no time taking advantage of a Helmets to Hardhats job fair today. The fair was a collaborative effort between the military, labor unions and private industry to put returning vets to work.
"If I put in 100 applications and get two phone calls, one might be the phone call that keeps me secure the rest of my life," Esparza said.
With local soldiers returning home in droves, the job search isn't likely to get easier anytime soon.
Between now and November around 2700 Illinois National Guard troops will be coming home from Washington, the state's largest combat deployment since World War Two, and all of them will be in need of jobs.
"It's exceptionally important when they come home that having fought for us and fought for our freedoms, that they don't have to fight for a job," said Gov. Pat Quinn.
The Governor, the military, the unions and private industry formalized their cooperation with a signed agreement and Esparza remains hopeful.
"As a soldier, we all learned you gotta keep moving forward no matter what. It's gotta get done, so what other choice do I have," he said.
Helmets to Hardhats is a nationwide program that partners with more than 14 labor unions and 400 companies to put vets to work in the building trades.
With the Illinois jobless rate now over 10 percent, veterans will need all the help they can muster.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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