UK Veterans' Survey: Situation of Veterans in Post Military Service Employment
The Veterans' Survey 2022, published by theOffice for National Statistics (ONS) on 23 April 2025provides an in-depth picture of the working condition of British veterans.
According to the data collected, less than half of the veterans (46.9%) were employed or self-employed, while an almost equal number (46.1%) were retired. Most of those who worked were employed in the private sector (62%), followed by the public sector (29.7%) and, to a lesser extent, the non-profit sector (5.7%).
The survey also showed that more than one in five veterans (20.9%) had actively sought to change jobs in the four weeks prior to the interview, driven by a desire to improve salary, work-life balance or advance professionally.
Significantly, more than half of the veterans (52.5%) stated that they had, at least once, accepted employment at a lower experience or skill level than their last military assignment. The main reasons? The scarcity of job opportunities and the lack of recognition by employers of transferable skills gained during service.
In terms of economic activity, 48.3% of veterans were considered economically active, which is higher than the figure recorded in the 2021 Census for England and Wales (42.4%). However, caution is needed in making direct comparisons with the general population, given the different age and gender distribution.
The difficulties in the transition were further investigated through qualitative analysis: unemployed veterans and veterans of less than five years complain of shortcomings in career support services, in the management of health issues, especially mental health, and in integration into the civilised world.
Transferable Skills and Underemployment: A Persistent Challenge
A central aspect that emerged from the study concerns the use of skills acquired in the Armed Forces in the civil labour market. 85.4% of veterans said they were aware that they possessed transferable skills, and 81.4% said they had actually used them in the civilian sector. However, the full utilisation of these skills remains a challenge.
In fact, more than half of the respondents admitted that they had to accept jobs below their professional qualifications. The main reasons are the lack of alternatives (cited as the first cause) and the inability of employers to recognise the value of military skills.
Certain segments of the veteran population are more vulnerable to this form of underemployment:
- Veterans with annual incomes below £20,799 are more prone to skill-related underemployment (59.4%) than those with incomes over £51,950 (44.7%);
- Disabled veterans show higher percentages of underutilisation of skills (56.5%) than non-disabled (47.8%);
- Those who felt unprepared for civilian life after discharge were twice as likely to be underemployed as those who felt prepared (68.5% versus 39.3%).
The data also show a significant difference depending on the branch of origin: veterans of the Royal Air Force are less prone to underemployment than those of the British Army and Royal Navy.
Volunteering and Sense of Community Belonging
Despite difficulties in the working world, many veterans continue to actively contribute to society. More than half (53.5%) have volunteered their time to organisations, clubs or charities in the past twelve months, a higher percentage than the general population (37.2%).
The main reasons given by those who did not volunteer include:
- Work commitments;
- Other leisure time interests;
- Health problems or disabilities that prevent activity.
Interestingly, volunteering is closely linked to a sense of belonging to the community: veterans who felt an integral part of their local community were more likely to volunteer (62.8%) than those who did not feel this sense of belonging (44.2%).
Furthermore, the figure for participation in volunteering remained almost unchanged between disabled and non-disabled veterans, highlighting a deep-rooted resilience and willingness to engage socially, despite any physical or psychological limitations.
Towards the Future: Improved Support and Opportunities to Develop
In light of the critical issues that have emerged, new programmes have been launched in recent years to improve support for veterans, such as the renewed Career Transition Partnership (CTP) operating from October 2024 and the 'Op ASCEND' initiative launched in March 2025. These programmes aim to offer:
- More continuity in career support;
- Access to high-level technical qualifications;
- Increased attention to mental health;
- Targeted support for specific categories, such as female veterans.
The qualitative analysis also highlights some concrete demands from veterans:
- Facilitated access to professional conversion courses;
- Mentoring by former military personnel successfully reintegrated into the civilian world;
- Increased networking and job placement opportunities during the transition period;
- Better coordination between government agencies, employers and veterans associations.
While it is clear that much has been achieved, the need for continued commitment to turn recognition of veterans into real opportunities remains evident. The Veterans' Survey 2022 reminds us that, beyond statistics, each figure represents stories of commitment, sacrifice and resilience that deserve full recognition and support in civic life.
Published by Condoralex
Born Alessandro Generotti, C.le Maj. Parachutist on leave. Military Parachutist Patent no. 192806. 186th RGT Par. Folgore/5th BTG. Par. El Alamein/XIII Cp. Par. Condor.
Founder and administrator of the website BRIGATAFOLGORE.NET. Blogger and computer scientist by profession.
