The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has updated its annual Vets Hiring Benchmark to 5.2%. The annual benchmark represents the national percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force. Most federal contractors use it to measure whether their hiring of protected veterans complies with OFCCP’s affirmative action regulations under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA).
The new figure is down slightly from the 2023 benchmark of 5.4% and continues the downward trend that has occurred every year since OFCCP established the benchmark in 2014, when it was set at 7.2%.