Jason Swensen is a Deseret News staff writer on the Politics and the West team. He has won multiple awards from the Utah Society of Professional Journalists. Swensen was raised in the Beehive State and graduated from the University of Utah. He is a husband and father — and has a stack of novels and sports biographies cluttering his nightstand.
SALT LAKE CITY — Some good job news for America's military vets at a moment of economic uncertainty.The unemployment rate for all veterans dropped from 4.5% in January to 4.1% in February. That's a jobs trend running counter to the national average.
Last month, the national unemployment rate rose to 4.4% after American employers unexpectedly cut 92,000 jobs — signaling an overall labor market under strain, according to The Associated Press.But in a report updated last Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that just over 4% of veterans now in the civilian labor force were without work in February — a number identical to that same time period in 2025.The unemployment rate for male veterans last month was 3.9% — a slight improvement from the 4% figure recorded in February 2025. Visitors to the Pittsburgh veterans job fair meet with recruiters at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on March 7, 2019. But the jobless rate for female veterans has increased from 4.5% to 5.2% over the past year.Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans dropped a full percentage point from 5.8% in January to 4.8% in February. The jobless rate for that veteran community at this time last year was 4.3%.The weakening national unemployment figures came as a surprise. Notably, they were compiled prior to the Feb. 28 start of the U.S. war with Iran."The job market is struggling in the face of so many headwinds," Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, told The Associated Press."Companies are going to be even more reluctant to hire this spring until the war ends and they can see consumers still spending. It's a tense time for the U.S. economy."Job losses were widespread in February, according to Associated Press reporting.Construction companies cut 11,000 jobs last month, which likely reflects frigid weather. And health care firms shed 28,000 jobs after a four-week strike by more than 30,000 nurses and other front-line workers at Kaiser Permanente in California and Hawaii.Health care has been one of the job market's strong points.Factories cut 12,000 jobs and have now lost jobs for 14 of the last 15 months. Restaurants and bars lost nearly 30,000 jobs. Administrative and support services firms cut nearly 19,000 jobs and courier and messenger services almost 17,000.Financial firms added 10,000 jobs, though job cuts continue to hit that sector, as well, this year.Average hourly wages rose 0.4%
Traffic Weather Sports Classifieds Cars Jobs Homes Television Radio Salt Lake Utah Local Military Finance Business Politics
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jason Bateman’s 5-Part American Sleeper Hit Took ‘Seinfeld’ and Made It WorseJerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, and Jason Alexander in 'The Subway' in Seinfeld.
Read more »
Jason Statham’s Funniest Movie Makes an Explosive Return to Streaming 11 Years LaterJason Statham grinning on the red carpet
Read more »
NECA Debuts Friday the 13th: The Game Part 8 Jason ReleaseFriday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is the eighth installment in the long-running horror slasher franchise. Just like the previous films, this one follows the infamous unkillable killer Jason Voorhees. Jason has been accidentally revived from the depths of Crystal Lake by an underwater electrical surge.
Read more »
Utah lawmaker says immigration bills stalled partly due to Utah Impact's lingering influenceTim Vandenack covers immigration, multicultural issues and Northern Utah for KSL. He worked several years for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden and has lived and reported in Mexico, Chile and along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read more »
Friday the 13th Prequel: The Return of Jason and Pamela VoorheesThe iconic horror franchise Friday the 13th is rising from the dead with a prequel series exploring the origins of Jason and Pamela Voorhees. After a long hiatus, the new series promises to delve into the characters' backstories, featuring Linda Cardellini as Pamela and Callum Vinson as Jason. The series aims to satisfy fans with familiar elements and a fresh perspective on the classic slasher.
Read more »
Trump 'ordered' the Education Department's demise almost a year ago — what's happened since?Jason Swensen is a Deseret News staff writer on the Politics and the West team. He has won multiple awards from the Utah Society of Professional Journalists. Swensen was raised in the Beehive State and graduated from the University of Utah. He is a husband and father — and has a stack of novels and sports biographies cluttering his nightstand.
Read more »