November is 'Hire a Veteran Month' in Illinois

[November 03, 2008]  CHICAGO -- As veterans, like many Americans, struggle to find employment during the current national economic slowdown, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced on Saturday that Illinois will host a series of job fairs across the state to help put veterans back to work. The governor also proclaimed November "Hire a Veteran Month" and reminded employers about the new state income tax credit of up to $600 for every qualified veteran they hire.

Veterans who have recently returned from service often have a difficult time finding employment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, young male veterans (ages 18 to 24) who served since September 2001 had an unemployment rate of 11.2 percent in 2007.

"Illinois' veterans have served their country with honor. Now, unfortunately, in this poor national economy, many veterans throughout the country are struggling to find work. But I am pleased to announce that today we can help these brave soldiers find employment through Illinois' Statewide Veterans Job Fair," Blagojevich said.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security will host the Statewide Veterans Job Fair, bringing together employers, veterans' benefits-related agencies and veterans' service organizations.

Job fairs in central Illinois will be on the following dates at these locations:

• Nov. 6, Springfield
  Camp Lincoln Guard Armory
  Illinois Military Academy Training Center
  1301 N. MacArthur Blvd.
  3-6 p.m.
  (Details)

• Nov. 7, Decatur
  Richland Community College
  Schilling Center
  One College Park
  9 a.m.-1 p.m.
  (Details)

"Our veterans rightfully deserve to have the very opportunities they risked their lives for -- and that includes having a job so they can provide for their families," said Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth. "When you hire a veteran, you are hiring a determined and dedicated individual who knows how to succeed in the mission they are given."

In 2005, Blagojevich created the Statewide Veterans Job Fair to recognize the value that veterans bring to the Illinois work force and to honor Veterans Day. With each passing year, success and attendance has grown; this year the state is proud to offer job fairs at three more sites than last year.

Illinois offers a variety of programs to help retrain displaced workers as well as identify and build new skills for those re-entering the work force. Support organizations and agencies related to benefits for veterans will also be available at the job fairs. The Department of Employment Security, in coordination with federal and community partners, also provides regional- and seasonal-specific training to assist workers of all types at more than 60 offices across the state.

"I am proud of our Statewide Veterans Job Fair, which emphasizes the value that our military veterans bring to the work force, while highlighting job-creation efforts to help small businesses across the state. I thank the governor for his commitment to putting Illinoisans to work, especially in these tough economic times," said Maureen O'Donnell, director of the Department of Employment Security.

Blagojevich is also reminding employers this month about the veteran's tax credit. Illinois employers can earn tax credits for the veterans they have hired since Jan. 1, 2007, who have recently been on active duty overseas. Employers can earn the veteran's tax credit of 5 percent of total wages paid, up to a maximum of $600 annually, for wages paid to each veteran hired after Jan. 1, 2007. The credit is available for veterans who were members of the armed forces, the Reserves or the Illinois National Guard on active duty in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For more information about the veteran's tax credit, go to www.tax.illinois.gov or call the Department of Revenue's toll-free assistance line at 1-800-732-8866. For more information on the job fairs for veterans, visit www.ides.state.il.us/info/event/default.asp. For more information on Illinois programs and initiatives for veterans, visit the www.veterans.illinois.gov or call 1-800-437-9824.

[Text from file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]