On March 30, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs updated its Annual Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act Benchmark Database to reflect a new hiring benchmark of 5.6%, which is effective March 31.

According to the OFCCP, “Contractors required by VEVRAA to develop a written Affirmative Action Program must also establish a hiring benchmark for protected veterans every year, or adopt the national benchmark provided by the OFCCP each year, as part of their AAP update. Under either approach, contractors must compare the percentage of hires who are protected veterans in each of their written AAPs to the hiring benchmark set for that AAP. Contractors should use the result of this comparison when assessing the effectiveness of their veteran outreach and recruitment efforts.”

Contractors can choose one of the two following options for establishing the required hiring benchmark for each of their written AAPs:

1. Adopt the national percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force or
2. Develop individualized hiring benchmark

More information on the VEVRAA requirements can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor’s website. For additional questions, contact the OFCCP Help Desk at 800-397-6251 (TTY: 877-889-5627).