Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Click on the links provided for in depth analysis.
How is the standard of living changing for veterans?
Veterans may have served the country, but how is the country serving them? In 2023, veterans had slightly better economic outcomes than the general population, but they continue to face challenges like higher disability rates and rising homelessness. Here’s what the latest data shows.
- In 2023, 2.8% of veterans were unemployed, lower than the rate among non-veterans (3.6%). This rate differs among veterans ages 18 to 24 (7.8% unemployment rate) and veterans with a service-related disability (6.0%).
- Of the 8.4 million veterans employed in 2023, 22.5% worked in government. The manufacturing industry employed 11.7% of veterans, followed by professional and business services (11.1%). Women were most likely to work in government (29.7%) or education and health services (21.7%).
- Compared to 11.5% of the adult population, 7.6% of veterans lived below the poverty line in 2023.
- Veteran homelessness rose 7.4% in 2023, the first increase in over a decade. As of 2023, the nation had 35,574 unhoused veterans.
- More than 4.8 million veterans (30.9%) reported at least one disability in 2023. In 2010, only 25.5% of veterans reported having a disability. Veterans are nearly twice as likely to be affected by disabilities than the general adult public.
Where do tornadoes do the most damage?
Tornadoes have an entire section of the country named after them in Tornado Alley, but where do tornadoes cause the most damage? Between 2020 and 2024, all but one state recorded at least one tornado. Here’s a closer look at where they’re most likely to occur (no storm chasing required).
- Everything is bigger in Texas, including the number of tornados. From 2020 to 2024, Texas recorded 516 tornadoes, followed by Illinois (491) and Iowa (462).
- The residents of Washington County, Colorado, are most likely to deal with tornadoes. The county had 40 tornadoes during this period, 13 more than any other county. (See how your county compares.)
- In 2024, residents in 23 states reported sustaining tornado-related injuries. Fifteen states had residents die due to tornados. Nationwide, 546 people were injured by tornadoes and 47 were killed. Texas and Oklahoma had the most injuries (124 and 116, respectively) and accounted for 44% of tornado-related injuries.
- Tornadoes caused $1.6 billion in property damage in 2024, over half of which ($893 million) was in Florida. Oklahoma had the next-highest amount with $264 million, nearly a third of Florida’s total.
Data behind the news
More than 2,000 Starbucks baristas are on strike. Meanwhile, more than 450 New Jersey Transit workers went on strike Friday morning, affecting thousands of commuters. Here’s the data on US labor strikes.
The Dakotas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, and Wisconsin have been under threat of wildfires for days. See our map tracking historical wildfire data.
If you read last week’s newsletter, test your memory with the weekly fact quiz.
One last fact
Student reading and math scores are falling. Eighth grade reading scores have dropped in 38 states since 2019. Math scores fell in 49 states and Washington, DC, while Tennessee did not have a statistically significant change.