Vets having a hard time finding work

More U.S. troops are returning home from the battlefield only to find they have another fight ahead of them — finding a job.

“One of the problems with veterans is a lot of them are not seeking jobs. A lot of them have given up,” said Bill Young with the Veterans Easy Access Program, which is the organizer for the third annual Veterans Expo to be held October 27th at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio.

The expo is designed to help vets make the transition to civilian life. That includes helping them with the job search.

“We did a survey about a year ago and jobs was the number one concern. More than health care and education. Getting a job and being able to support themselves and their families was the number one thing,” said Young.

It’s a struggle getting attention on Capitol Hill this week as a billion dollar jobs program to put vets back to work got bogged down in the Senate. Republicans said the bill violates spending limits Congress agreed to last year.

“I understand both sides. A bill like that is very expensive. At a time when we’re trying to balance the budget — it’s a challenge. Our main concern is to get veterans linked up with agencies out there now. There are jobs if we can just get them with the right people,” Young said.

The Veterans Expo will run 9am to 1:30pm in the Fullenwider Auditorium at the fairgrounds.