Being in the military is hard; being on the outside may be worse. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers for June show that while overall, unemployment has risen to 9.2 percent, for post 9/11 veterans of the Iraq and Afghnistan wars the rates is 13.3 percent.
"I retired in February, so, never imagined it would be July and still unemployed,” said retired Lieutenant Commander Larry Norris of Virginia Beach, who spent 34 years in the Navy and Coast Guard.
Norris can't find a job and is now reaching out to the Virginia Employment Commission.
"I'm just going to keep on plugging,” he said.
One place Norris and other vets might turn is "NowHiringVeterans.com," a website created by a Virginia Beach based company called Intellect-Techs.
President and CEO Jeri Prophet knows first-hand that finding the right work fit isn't easy.
"Being a 10-year Navy veteran myself I know what it was like back in 2002, making the transition into the civilian world and getting a job,” said Prophet.
The idea is that job seekers can post resumes and companies specifically seeking vets and wounded warriors can post job openings and hopefully, need and opportunity will intersect.
"I want them to be able to come to the website and get their candidates from here.”
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