U.S. Chamber Recognizes Private Sector for Efforts in Hiring Military Veterans and Spouses

First Lady Michelle Obama Gives Keynote Remarks at
U.S. Chamber’s 4th Annual Business Steps Up: Hiring Our Heroes Event

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Chamber Foundation hosted government, military, and private industry leaders at the “4th Annual Business Steps Up: Hiring Our Heroes” event today, to highlight how the business community has helped find meaningful employment for veterans, service members, and military spouses.

Delivering her keynote speech, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about her Joining Forces imitative, which brings Americans together to recognize, honor and take action to support military families as they serve our country and throughout their lives. The U.S. Chamber has partnered with Joining Forces by conducting hiring fairs for veterans and military spouses in 100 local communities across the country, and will expand that number to several hundred next year.

"Over the past year, the White House’s Joining Forces and the Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes initiatives have been united for a common goal: to ensure our veterans and military spouses can find jobs," said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "While we have made great strides in the past year, there is still much to do. Our partnership with Joining Forces will continue, as we spread this movement across the country to create an environment in which thousands of military veterans and military spouses can find meaningful employment in their local communities.”

The results of Hiring Our Heroes thus far have been palpable. To date, the Chamber has hosted hiring fairs in 63 cities, connecting 55,000 veterans and military spouses, with more than 2,500 employers in 37 states. More than 3,400 have gotten jobs. At a dinner this evening, the Chamber will highlight the successes of its nationwide 100-city veterans hiring fair program through the dedication of a permanent veterans center inside the Chamber and the presentation of awards to private sector employers in five categories. 

The Chamber has announced three strategic initiatives that will help to expand the Hiring Our Heroes program going forward: a grassroots campaign to engage the small business community; the establishment of a comprehensive IT system to support the hiring events the Chamber is conducting in local communities across the country; and the formation of a private sector Veterans Employment Advisory Council (VEAC) comprised of America’s biggest employers across all industries and sectors.

“With the support of the VEAC and our extensive network of 1600 local chambers, we will enlist the support of the Chamber’s nearly 3 million small and medium-size company members and the 3.5 million veteran-owned small businesses in America to do their part too,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel (Ret.), vice president of the Chamber’s Veterans Employment Program. “If we get just 10% of those small business owners to commit to hiring just one veteran, we could cut veterans unemployment in half by 2013.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.