Hiring A Veteran

U.S. Senator Kay Hagan applauded the First Lady’s announcement that more than 2,000 businesses have participated in the Joining Forces program to hire or train more than 125,000 veterans and military spouses since the initiative launched last year.   “A veteran should not have to fight for a job after fighting for our country,” Hagan said.  Hagan helped pass the bipartisan  VOW to Hire Heroes Act last November.  The basis of that bill was the Hire a Hero Act, a bill she introduced to help veterans and their spouses find employment opportunities.  The law provides a tax credit of up to $5,600 for hiring veterans who have been looking for a job for more than six months, as well as a $2,400 credit for hiring veterans who are unemployed more than four weeks but less than six months. Businesses receive a tax credit of up to $9,600 for hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been looking for a job for more than six months.