As the economy continues to add thousands of jobs, many men and women in uniform are finding better employment chances once they get out of the military, even if many of those jobs do not use their military skills.

A study conducted by the University of Phoenix and Harris Poll shows that while post-service unemployment rates are declining for veterans, more than half — 61 percent — of employed veterans report that they are or were in jobs beneath their skill sets. Of those, 72 percent said that they accepted such positions because they were unemployed and needed the work.

“Service members cultivate skills in the military that are invaluable to civilian employers,” retired U.S. Army Colonel Garland Williams, vice president of military relations for the University of Phoenix, said.

Of the 1,000 veterans surveyed by Harris Poll, 57 percent reported difficulty finding employment suitable for their skills after leaving active duty. At the same time, 45 percent of respondents reported difficulty finding any type of employment, while 54 percent had difficulty deciding on a career path.

“Veterans bring diverse experience to the workplace, but may not know how to specifically market their skills they gained in the military for civilian jobs,” Williams said. “The good news is that there are significant national efforts underway to help bridge this gap.”

Since January 2014, at least 200,000 jobs have been added to the market each month, with 300,000 added in April as the highest mark. As of the end of October, 9 million people are unemployed nationwide according to the U.S. Department of Labor, down from 10.2 million in January. Statistically, teenagers and African Americans lead in unemployment rates, at 18 and 11 percent respectively.

Many groups across the country offer specialized programs to connect veterans with employers. At Bellevue College, “Project Success” was a program to partner veterans transitioning from active duty with employment services and recruiting directors for employers such as Boeing, Amazon and IBM.

The project was one of six nationwide funded by the Microsoft Elevate America Veterans Initiative, which is providing $8 million in cash, software and training to help veterans transition into civilian life. While the Microsoft-funded project has come to an end, Bellevue College is continuing with their own veterans employment program.

For more information on veterans employment programs at Bellevue College, call (425) 564-2279, or email careers@bellevuecollege.edu.