Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Moses-Stanton, S. (2018). An analysis of the Veterans Employment Initiative. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest. Accession No. 10745075.
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact Presidential Executive Order 13518 (EO13518) had on the employment of veterans who served in the military starting in September 2001 (Gulf War II-era veterans).
- The author used graphical analysis to examine employment outcomes for veterans and non-veterans after the implementation of EO13518. The study used Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS USA) data for the years 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015.
- The study did not show evidence of a relationship between the implementation of EO13518 and employment of Gulf War II-era veterans. The study did not statistically compare the employment of the veterans and non-veterans following implementation of the Executive Order.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we would not be confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the implementation of EO13518; other factors would be likely to have contributed to the findings. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.
Intervention Examined
Executive Order 13518
Features of the Intervention
To improve employment of veterans, President Obama signed EO13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government, into law in 2009. This order aimed to both increase the employment of veterans within the federal government and set an example to private employers. EO13518 laid out several requirements for federal agencies, including developing plans, a program office, and human resources training for promoting veterans’ employment opportunities within the agencies.
Features of the Study
The author examined employment outcomes for Gulf War II-era veterans and non-veterans after the implementation of EO13518. Specifically, she examined Gulf War II-era veterans (who served starting in September 2001) and non-veterans ages 18 to 54 in the years 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015. The study used data from the IPUMS USA, which includes data from the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey. These data include information on veteran status, employment status and type, age, educational achievement, and service-connected disability.
The author used graphical analysis to examine changes in employment outcomes for veterans and non-veterans but did not compare outcomes statistically across the groups.
Findings
Employment
- The study did not show evidence of a relationship between the implementation of EO13518 and employment of Gulf War II-era veterans. The study did not statistically compare the employment of the veterans and non-veterans following implementation of the Executive Order.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The author did not account for preexisting differences between the groups before the implementation of EO13518. These preexisting differences between the groups—and not the Executive Order—could explain the observed differences in outcomes. However, the study did not find statistically significant differences.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is low because the author did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we would not be confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the implementation EO13518; other factors would be likely to have contributed to the findings. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.