| Sumario: | The Bureau of Labor Statistics has used data from the Current Population Survey to compare the labor force activity and earnings of Vietnam-era veterans and their nonveteran counterparts as of the fall of 1989. Overall, the 2 groups have similar work profiles. Their average weekly earnings are roughly equal, the types of jobs that they hold are basically similar, and very few members of either group are jobless. Closer examination reveals differences, however. At lower levels of education, veterans earn more than nonveterans. In addition, veterans who served outside the war theater earn significantly more than either war zone veterans or nonveterans in most education and occupation categories. Black and Hispanic veterans are better educated than their nonveteran counterparts, and black veterans have higher earnings than black nonveterans. The military selection process during the Vietnam era may help account for some of these differences.
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