Wal-Mart, the notorious mega-store announced on Tuesday that it plans to hire every veteran who applies for a job. This move by the country’s biggest retailer is the largest hiring initiative for veterans in U.S. history. The program, which will begin on Memorial Day is open to veterans who have left the military this past year and were not dishonorably discharged. Wal-Mart estimates that it will hire around 100,000 people within the next five years. 

Veterans, especially in the last few years, have faced significantly higher unemployment rates than nonveterans. Last year the unemployment rate among veterans was 10 percent where as among nonveterans it was 7.9 percent. 

“Hiring a veteran can be one of the best decisions any of us can make,” said William S. Simon, the president and chief executive of Wal-Mart U.S. in his keynote speech to the National Retail Federation. “These are leaders with discipline, training and a passion for service.”

Read more at The New York Times

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