The subjective underemployment experience of post-9/11 veterans after transition to civilian work

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Davenport, Katie E.^{a; *} | Morgan, Nicole R.^a | McCarthy, Kimberly J.^a | Bleser, Julia A.^a | Aronson, Keith R.^{a; b} | Perkins, Daniel F.^{a; c}

Affiliations: [a] Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA | [b] Social Science Research Institute, Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA | [c] Social Science Research Institute, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Katie E. Davenport, Ph.D., Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State University, 402 Marion Place, University Park, PA 16802, USA. E-mail: ked15@psu.edu.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Underemployment is a challenge for the civilian workforce and a particular risk for veterans as they transition from military service to civilian employment. Workers’ economic and demographic characteristics factor into underemployment risk. Veterans may be at greater risk due to specific economic and demographic factors, transitional factors (e.g., geographic relocation), and characteristics of their military service (e.g., military skill alignment with civilian jobs). OBJECTIVES:Describe underemployment experiences in employed post-9/11 veterans three years after their military transition to the civilian workforce. METHODS:The current study uses self-reported underemployment experience data from a longitudinal study of transitioning veterans. This study compares average perceptions of veteran underemployment experiences by specific groups (e.g., by race, gender, and paygrade) using analysis of variance and logistic regression. RESULTS:Veterans reported underemployment in their current jobs based on a perceived mismatch between the skills, education, and/or leadership experience they gained during military service. CONCLUSIONS:Veterans who were enlisted rank, identified as non-White, completed a bachelor’s degree, and indicated PTSD symptoms reported higher pervasive underemployment. Intervention implications for the results, such as employer and veteran employment supports, are discussed.

Keywords: Veterans, transition, underemployment, subjective experience, military

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210029

Journal: Work, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 1349-1357, 2022