California Renews Efforts To Assist Disabled Veterans
VALLEJO (KCBS) – On the heels of a new push by the Obama administration to get companies to hire more military veterans, California is attempting to help disabled vets to start their own businesses in the state.
According to the latest U.S. Labor Department report, the nation's jobless rate last month was 9.1 percent. That includes approximately a million veterans who are unemployed as the post-9/11 jobless rate for vets stands at 13.3 percent.
KCBS' Ted Goldberg Reports:
President Barack Obama is proposing tax credits to help hire veterans.
But Rich Dryden, the executive director of the California Disabled Veterans Business Alliance, said there are still plenty of obstacles for those coming home from war.
"The challenges are unique, especially when it comes to extended deployments, which we see a lot," he said. "They try to come back and fit right in. But more so, for those with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries."
Dryden said that for veterans with wounds, running their own business can be easier than working for someone else.
"What our focus is is to say, if you've got the business acumen and we can help you, let's do that and get you into something where maybe you're in control," said Dryden. "Maybe you work out of your house or you do reselling or something that is fairly simple and you don't have to get in front of people all that often."
Dryden said the state does provide financial incentives for firms run by disabled veterans.
The California Disabled Veterans Business Alliance is inviting those interested in assistance to a meeting at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo on Wednesday afternoon.
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