CHICAGO — As Chicagoans remember loved ones lost and those who fought this Memorial Day, the Chicago Transit Authority says it's honoring city veterans by giving them something they really need: jobs.
Since 2010, the CTA has doubled the number of military veterans on staff — from 173 in 2010 to 348 today, the agency said in a statement.
“The CTA recognizes and values the experience of our country’s veterans, and we believe that experience translates very well to employment with the CTA,” CTA President Forrest Claypool said in a statement. “Many veterans, by virtue of their military service, are well-equipped to serve this agency and its customers.”
Claypool signed an executive order in 2012 that gave veterans an advantage when it came time to hire drivers, mechanics, engineers, managers and other workers, the CTA said in a news release.
The agency said it has also stepped up efforts to reach vets at job fairs and now takes into account military experience during the job application process.
According to Reuters, unemployment among U.S. military veterans remains higher than the national average. Last year, the unemployment rate among those who joined after September 11 was about 9.0 percent.
“For their bravery, discipline, and sacrifice, veterans not only deserve but are highly qualified for jobs when they come home,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “CTA will continue to actively seek and employ the men and women who so courageously served our country.”
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