SALT LAKE CITY — The American Legion is hosting a global virtual job fair Thursday to help get veterans back in the workforce.
Hundreds of companies are set to interview veterans around the world as many of their careers have been impacted by the pandemic.
So far, 263 companies have signed up including Geico, Amazon, FedEx and PNC bank.
Due to Covid, many veterans lost jobs. Close to 700,000 veterans were unemployed back in April of 2020 with the U.S Department of Labor reporting a 4.4 percent veteran unemployment rate.
This job fair seeks to get those people back into the workforce.
Looking at Utah's numbers, the state has a reported 124,000 veterans with an unemployment rate of 2.9 percent, which the American Legion says is great especially compared to other states.
The job fair will have employers not only from the U.S. but from other countries as well.
“We want veterans to start thinking that, you know, the skills that you bring to the table allows you to go anywhere in the world,” said Joseph Sharpe, director for American Legion’s employment and education division. “That there are veterans who may want to work in another country so it brightens their horizons as far as employment opportunities.”
There will also be a special focus on female veterans as the unemployment rate among women veterans is higher.
The first hour of the job fair will be totally dedicated to women, then it will open up to other veterans and their spouses.
If you’d like to join the job fair, visit the American Legion’s website to register.
It starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 2 p.m.
You will also need to submit a resume with your registration.