More than 8 million: That’s the number of U.S. military veterans who participated in the civilian labor force in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, representing at least 5% of the total labor force. Veterans represent a sizable population that could help employers address urgent skill shortages, but they are often an untapped resource, according to a 2023 McKinsey & Co. report.

Advocates and community partners like Ray Newby are working to change that reality, however. Newby, a regional veterans employment representative for the Maryland Department of Labor, has been connecting veterans with employers in the state for eight years.

Veterans are an asset to companies because of their experience with problem-solving, and the lessons in loyalty and resilience imparted to them as part of their service, he said in an interview. Newby, a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Marines, added that his fellow service members are eager to work and to excel in their jobs: “We know we have to get the job done.”

HR teams can take several steps to improve their recruitment and retention of veterans.

1. Know which skills transfer and how they transfer

Veterans bring a range of skills to the table, including leadership, adaptability and resilience, Mark Elliott, global head of military and veterans affairs at JPMorgan Chase, said in an email to HR Dive.

Veterans also bring knowledge of managing complex systems and leading diverse teams, “often in environments where precision and accountability are critical,” Elliott added.

This population’s technological experience applies to a variety of fields, he continued. Manufacturing employers, for example, may benefit from veterans’ work with 3D printing; healthcare occupations may be apt for those who have worked with telemedicine and field care. In agriculture, service members who have specialized in food security and sustainability have skills that directly translate to equivalent civilian roles.

“Today’s military is a technology-driven environment,” Elliott said. “Nearly everything a service member does involves advanced systems, from weapons to communications, and they’re trained to use those technologies to complete the mission.”

Newby said he has seen a lot of interest from veterans in fields like information technology, medicine and construction — the latter being particularly attractive to former combat engineers who are tasked with demolishing and remodeling structures. “They want to try to stay in that field after receiving all of that training, and it’s easier to transition to that,” he added.

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