More Than 1.5 Million Veterans Call Florida Home

More than 1.5 million veterans call Florida home. Ten percent of Florida vets are women and one of every 13 Floridians is a veteran. With number like these, it’s no wonder that Florida is one of the most veteran-friendly states in the nation.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 marks 60 years since Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day to honor those who served in American wars. While American wars continue, there is at least one battlefront on which we have made progress – Hiring Our Heroes.

Florida’s efforts to be the most veteran friendly state in the union have included proactively encouraging businesses to hire veterans. And it’s working.

Today, unemployment among veterans is less than half of what it was in 2010. In fact, Florida’s veteran unemployment rate stands at 6.1 percent – below the state and national average.

Florida has made great strides to ensure its veterans receive the information and resources they need:

• The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs provides information on services designed to help veterans with everything from education and workforce training to health care and housing. A copy of the Florida Veteran’s Benefits guide is available by clicking here, and a free mobile app is also available by clicking here.
• The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and its Veterans Employment Programs offers a menu of services and promotes the employment of Florida’s veterans, especially veterans with barriers to employment. Included in these resources is the Employ Florida Vets Portal, a gateway to information and resource links that will assist veterans, veterans’ families and employers in matching veterans seeking employment with employers and employment-related services.

“I join all Floridians and Americans in thanking each of our warriors, past and present, for the sacrifices they made to protect the freedoms and values of this country,” said Pam Rauch, Chair of the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees and Vice President of Development and External Affairs for Florida Power and Light Company. “It is their willingness to serve, their unwavering commitment to the ideals this country was founded on, and the spirit of perseverance that strengthens and helps protect this country and its citizens.”

Does your business employ veterans? How can your experience help other businesses identify opportunities for veterans?

About the Florida Scorecard Did You Know:

The Florida Scorecard, located at www.TheFloridaScorecard.com, presents metrics across Florida’s economy. The Florida Chamber Foundation routinely produces a Scorecard Stat that takes an in-depth look at one specific statistic. If you would like additional information on the Weekly Scorecard Stat or on the Florida Scorecard, please contact Tracey Lowe with the Florida Chamber Foundation at 850.521.1226 or tlowe@flfoundation.org.

The Military in Florida – 2030 and Beyond

If you missed our annual Military, Defense and Veterans Opportunities Summit, click here to view presentations and a meeting overview. In the meantime, be on the lookout for the dates for our next military event in 2015.