Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of...

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Profile of Veterans: 2009 Data from the American Community Survey Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics January 2011 NCVAS National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Transcript of Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of...

Page 1: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Profile of Veterans: 2009Data from the American Community Survey

Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

January 2011

NCVAS National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Page 2: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Data Source and Methods• Data for this analysis come from the 2009 American Community

Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample.• The ACS is an ongoing survey that provides annual data on the social and economic

characteristics of the U.S. population. • The ACS uses a series of monthly samples to produce annually updated data for the

same small areas (census tracts and block groups) formerly surveyed via the decennial census long-form sample.

• The universe for this analysis is the civilian population 17 years and older living in the United States. This universe includes a weighted estimate of 21.8 million Veterans, of which 1.5

million were women.

• All comparative statements have undergone statistical testing and are significant at the 90-percent confidence level.

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Page 3: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Veteran and Non-Veteran Comparisons

Veterans = 21,848,693

Non-Veterans= 213,645,687

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Page 4: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Male Veterans Male Non-Veterans

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Age Distributions of Men(in percent)

Male Veterans on average were older than non-Veteran men. In 2009, the median age of male Veterans was 64 years and the median age of male non-Veterans was 49 years.

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1.2

5.5

9.9

14.7

25.7

19.9

23.1

17 to 24 years

25 to 34 years

35 to 44 years

45 to 54 years

55 to 64 years

65 to 74 years

75 years and

older

18.4

20.719.9 20.1

12.3

5.9

2.6

17 to 24 years

25 to 34 years

35 to 44 years

45 to 54 years

55 to 64 years

65 to 74 years

75 years and

older

Page 5: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Female Veterans Female Non-Veterans

As with male Veterans, a lower percentage of female Veterans were in the youngest age group—17 to 24 years old. These are the ages when most men and women would still be serving in the military and would not yet

have become Veterans. In 2009, the median age of both female Veterans and female non-Veterans was about 49 years.

Age Distributions of Women(in percent)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

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3.7

16.7

21.5

26.9

13.8

6.5

10.9

17 to 24 years

25 to 34 years

35 to 44 years

45 to 54 years

55 to 64 years

65 to 74 years

75 years and

older

14.0

16.7 17.118.5

14.9

9.3 9.5

17 to 24 years

25 to 34 years

35 to 44 years

45 to 54 years

55 to 64 years

65 to 74 years

75 years and

older

Page 6: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Male Veterans were more likely to be White non-Hispanic than male non-Veterans. Female Veterans were more likely to be Nonwhite non-Hispanic than non-Veteran women. Both male and female Veterans were less

likely to be Hispanic than their non-Veteran counterparts.

Men Women

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Race and Hispanic Origin Distributions(in percent)

“Nonwhite” includes Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, some other race, and two or more races.

Veteran Non-VeteranVeteran Non-Veteran

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82.0

12.9

5.1

64.6

18.7 16.7

White Non-Hispanic Nonwhite Non-Hispanic

Hispanic

69.6

23.9

6.5

68.1

19.0

12.9

White Non-Hispanic Nonwhite Non-Hispanic

Hispanic

Page 7: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Men Women

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

47.4

23.4

12.616.6

49.1

12.1 12.5

26.3

Married Divorced Widowed or Separated

Never married

67.7

13.9

9.3 9.1

49.9

8.8

3.4

37.9

Married Divorced Widowed or Separated

Never married

Veteran Non-Veteran Veteran Non-Veteran

Marital Status Distributions(in percent)

Male Veterans were more likely to be married and less likely to have never married compared with non-Veteran men. This is mostly a factor of the older ages of male Veterans. A higher percentage of Female

Veterans were divorced compared with non-Veteran women.

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Page 8: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Occupation of Employed Men(in percent)

Class of Worker of Employed Men(in percent)Veteran Non-Veteran Veteran Non-Veteran

A higher percentage of male Veterans were in management and professional occupations compared with male non-Veterans. These include occupations such as engineers, educators, doctors, and various types of

managers. The percentage of male Veterans working for local, state, or Federal government was about twice that of male non-Veterans. Slightly more male Veterans were self-employed compared with male

non-Veterans.

34.1

18.8 17.415.9

13.9

32.5

17.4 17.8 17.5

14.7

Management, professional

Production, transportation

Sales, office All other Service

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

“All Other” includes farming, fishing, and forestry; construction, extraction, maintenance, repair; and military.

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66.0

20.8

13.2

76.8

10.9 12.3

Private Government Self-employed

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Occupation of Employed Women(in percent)

Class of Worker of Employed Women(in percent)Veteran Non-Veteran Veteran Non-Veteran

The percentage of female Veterans working in management and professional occupations was about 8 percentage points higher than that of non-Veteran women in 2009. A lower percentage of female Veterans

worked in service occupations, such as food service, janitorial, and child care, than female non-Veterans. Thirty-one percent of female Veterans worked for local, state, or federal government, compared with 18

percent of female non-Veterans.

47.1

29.8

15.2

5.9

1.9

39.1

33.3

21.1

5.6

0.8

Management, professional

Sales, office Service Production, transportation

All other

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

“All Other” includes farming, fishing, and forestry; construction, extraction, maintenance, repair; and military.

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63.3

31.2

5.5

75.1

17.6

7.3

Private Government Self-employed

Page 10: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Men Women

35.2

17.9

40.7

6.3

58.7

11.0

6.7

23.5

Private only Public only Public and private

No coverage

51.2

15.0

25.8

8.0

55.5

15.714.0 14.9

Private only Public only Public and private

No coverage

Veteran Non-Veteran Veteran Non-Veteran

Both male and female Veterans were more likely to have a combination of public and private health insurance coverage compared with their non-Veteran counterparts. The high percentage of male Veterans in this

category was likely due to their older ages, with far more eligible for Medicare coverage than non-Veterans. Male and female Veterans had lower uninsured rates than non-Veterans in 2009.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Health Insurance Coverage Distributions(in percent)

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In 2009, a lower percentage of both male and female Veterans lived below 100 percent of poverty compared with their non-Veteran counterparts.

Men Veteran Non-Veteran Women Veteran Non-Veteran

Poverty Level Distributions(in percent)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

6.3 6.47.7

16.8 16.0

46.8

11.9

8.2 8.6

16.514.1

40.7

0 to 99 percent

100 to 149 percent

150 to 199 percent

200 to 299 percent

300 to 399 percent

400 percent or

higher

9.67.6 8.3

16.815.2

42.5

14.2

9.2 9.0

16.513.6

37.5

0 to 99 percent

100 to 149 percent

150 to 199 percent

200 to 299 percent

300 to 399 percent

400 percent or

higher

Poverty status cannot be determined for individuals living in institutional group quarters (i.e., prisons or nursing homes), college dormitories, military barracks, and non-conventional housing situations.

Page 12: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

In 2009, both male and female Veterans who worked year-round and full-time had higher median earnings than their non-Veteran counterparts. Veterans of both sexes also had higher personal incomes than non-Veterans.

Median Earnings of Year-Round Full-Time Workers by Sex and Veteran Status

Median Personal Income by Sex and Veteran Status

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$51,230

$45,811

$41,441

$36,099

Male Veterans

Male Non-Veterans

Female Veterans

Female Non-Veterans

“Earnings” refer to salary, wages, and self employment income. “Year-round full-time”(YRFT) refers to employment of 50 or more weeks per year and 35 or more hours per week. Median earnings are calculated for the YRFT employed population with earnings greater than zero.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

$36,244

$31,137

$30,169

$20,480

Male Veterans

Male Non-Veterans

Female Veterans

Female Non-Veterans

“Income” refers to the total of earnings and other sources of income such as pension, Supplemental Security Income, public assistance, etc. Median income is calculated for the total population with personal income greater than zero.

Page 13: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Veteran Comparisons

Male Veterans = 20,362,193

Female Veterans= 1,486,500

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Page 14: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

The largest living cohort of male Veterans served during the Vietnam Era (August 1964 to April 1975) while the largest living cohort of female Veterans served only during peacetime periods.

Male Veterans Female Veterans

Note: Periods of service shown here are mutually exclusive.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Period of Military Service of Veterans(in percent)

33.0

25.2

10.8 9.9 9.6

6.9

4.5

14

29.5

23.8

13.5 13.2

9.9

6.6

3.6

Page 15: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree, compared with male Veterans. A higher percentage of female Veterans than male

Veterans in all age groups were enrolled in college. The percentages of 17- to 24-year-old and 25- to 34-year-old female Veterans enrolled in college were not statistically different.

Distribution of Educational Attainment(in percent)

Percent Enrolled in College by Age (in percent)

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39.7 35.4

15.09.9

22.6

47.5

18.311.6

High school graduate or

less

Some college Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

27.720.7

5.1 0.6

38.031.6

11.42.3

17 to 24 years 25 to 34 years 35 to 54 years 55 years and older

FemaleMale FemaleMale

“Educational Attainment” refers to the highest level of education an individual has completed.

“Advanced Degree” refers to Master’s, PhD, JD, MD, or other professional degree.

“Enrolled in College” includes enrollment in undergraduate years (freshman to senior) or enrollment in graduate or professional school (beyond a Bachelor’s degree).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Page 16: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

With the exception of 25- to 34-year-old Veterans enrolled in public graduate schools and 35- to 54-year-old Veterans enrolled in private undergraduate schools, there were no statistically significant differences between

the enrollment rates of male and female Veterans by type of school.

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79.7

17.8

0.9

1.6

76.2

21.6

1.2

1.1

Public undergraduate

Private undergraduate

Public graduate

Private graduate

Enrolled 17 to 24 Year OldsN=67,165 males ; 55,231 females

68.0

17.1

8.9

6.1

66.8

15.0

13.0

5.2

Public undergraduate

Private undergraduate

Public graduate

Private graduate

Enrolled 25 to 34 Year OldsN=232,477 males; 78,766 females

50.4

20.4

16.0

13.2

52.0

16.3

18.8

12.9

Public undergraduate

Private undergraduate

Public graduate

Private graduate

Enrolled 35 to 54 Year OldsN=255,104 males; 81,864 females

48.2

11.7

22.6

17.5

48.3

11.3

24.0

16.5

Public undergraduate

Private undergraduate

Public graduate

Private graduate

Enrolled 55 Years and OlderN=89,452 males; 10,613 females

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

FemaleMale

Type of Enrollment for the Veteran Population Enrolled in College by Age (in percent)

*statistically different

*statistically different

Page 17: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

14.7

26.1

3.8

6.3

2.6

6.2

17.8

23.1

4.8

8.06.9

9.5

Has a service-connected disability

Uses VA Health Care Uses VA only No health insurance coverage

No earnings, no income Below poverty

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

A higher percentage of female Veterans than male Veterans had a service-connected disability rating in 2009. A higher percentage of male Veterans used VA health care at all but a higher percentage of female Veterans used VA

health care only. Female Veterans were more likely than male Veterans to be uninsured, have no earnings or income, and live below the poverty threshold.

FemaleMale

Selected Characteristics of Veterans(in percent)

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Page 18: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Male Veterans Female Veterans

A higher percentage of female Veterans than male Veterans worked in management and professional and sales and office occupations. Nineteen percent of male Veterans worked in production and transportation

occupations. These occupations include machinists, drivers, and aircraft pilots, jobs similar to what male Veterans may have done while in the military.

34.1

18.817.4

15.913.9

Management, professional

Production, transportation

Sales, office All other Service

47.1

29.8

15.2

5.9

1.9

Management, professional

Sales, office Service Production, transportation

All other

“All other” includes farming, fishing, and forestry; construction, extraction, maintenance, repair; and military.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS, 2009Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Occupations of Employed Veterans(in percent)

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Page 19: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Summary of Veteran and Non-Veteran Comparisons

According to data from the 2009 American Community Survey, male Veterans were older, more likely

to be White non-Hispanic, more likely to be married, less likely to be uninsured, less likely to live

below poverty, and had higher personal incomes than male non-Veterans. Employed male Veterans

were more likely to work in management and professional occupations or production and

transportation occupations , and more likely to work for local, state, or Federal governments than

their non-Veteran counterparts. Male Veterans who worked year-round and full-time earned about

$5,400 more than similar non-Veterans. Some differences between male Veterans and non-Veterans

may be attributable to age. The median age of male Veterans in 2009 was 64 years while the median

age of male non-Veterans was 49 years.

There was little difference in the ages of female Veterans and non-Veterans in 2009. Both had

median ages of about 49 years. Female Veterans were more likely to be Nonwhite non-Hispanic,

more likely to be divorced, less likely to be uninsured, less likely to live below poverty, and had

higher personal incomes than female non-Veterans. Employed female Veterans were more likely to

be in management and professional occupations, less likely to be in service occupations, and more

likely to work in local, state, or Federal government than female non-Veterans. Female Veterans who

worked year-round and full-time earned about $5,300 more than similar non-Veterans.

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Page 20: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

The largest living cohort of male Veterans served during the Vietnam Era (August 1964 to April

1975) while the largest living cohort of female Veterans served only during peacetime periods.

Compared with male Veterans, female Veterans were more likely to have completed some

college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree, more likely to be enrolled in college, more

likely to have a service-connected disability rating, less likely to use VA health care at all but

more likely to use only VA health care, and more likely to be insured, have no earnings or

income, and live below the poverty threshold.

Employed female Veterans were more likely to work in management and professional

occupations and sales and office occupations than employed male Veterans.

Some differences between male and female Veterans may be attributable to age as male

Veterans are significantly older than female Veterans. The median age of male Veterans was 64

years in 2009, compared with 49 years for female Veterans.

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Summary of Veteran Comparisons

Page 21: Profile of Veterans: 2009 - VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs · In 2009, a higher percentage of female Veterans had completed some college, a Bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree,

Contact Information

Kelly Ann HolderDepartment of Veterans Affairs

Office of Policy and Planning

National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

[email protected]

(202)266-4643

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