Vets out of work at a much higher rate than the national average

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - November is " Hire a Veteran Month" here in Massachusetts, and a job fair that's going Monday aims to help those in western Massachusetts who have served their country.

At the CareerPoint one-stop career center on High Street in Holyoke, they are hosting the fair starting at 9:30 A.M. Local employers will be in attendance, as well as people providing information on resources for veterans.

The need to find jobs for veterans has become particularly acute, as new numbers show that the unemployment rate for veterans is exceptionally high. The jobless rate for vets is 13.5%; five points higher than the national unemployment rate of just over 8%.

In 2011, 12% of veterans who served in the Military since September 2001 were out of work. Of those, young male veterans ages 18 to 24 had a 29% unemployment rate; a number significantly higher than that of young male non-veterans.

Like many areas of the country, unemployment is leading many western Massachusetts veterans into homelessness, and increasing their health care costs.