Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) is a subdivision of the Department of Labor responsible for preparing America's veterans, service members, and their spouses for meaningful careers. The agency provides resources and expertise to assist veterans in obtaining employment and protects their employment rights. It also offers training programs, job search assistance, and employer outreach to ensure veterans have the support they need to transition to civilian employment. It was established in 1974.

In FY 2024,

$61.2M

was spent by the Veterans' Employment and Training Service
In FY 2024,

0.1%

of Dept. of Labor spending was by the Veterans' Employment and Training Service

How much does the Veterans' Employment and Training Service spend?

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service spent a net total of $61.2 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.1% of the $54.3 billion spent by the Department of Labor, which itself was 0.8% of all federal spending. The VETS ranked 9th among DOL subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service ranked 9th among Department of Labor divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOL net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Veterans' Employment and Training Service’s federal spending has increased from $54.1 million in 2022 to $61.2 million in 2024.

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 2022.

Yearly federal net spending by VETS, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2022–2024

Since 2022, Veterans' Employment and Training Service spending has increased 13%, while overall spending has decreased 2.3%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. VETS spending grew more than overall federal spending since 2022, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, VETS accounted for 0.0009% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 2022.

Net spending by VETS as a share of federal spending, FYs 2022–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Veterans' Employment and Training Service's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net VETS spending.

How did the Veterans' Employment and Training Service spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to VETS, FY 2024

How many people work for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service?

Some 220 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service as of September 2024. This is 6% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service has decreased 6% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for VETS, September 2010–2024

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service accounts for 0.0095% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.011%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Veterans' Employment and Training Service's share of the workforce (0.0095%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0009%).

Who leads the Veterans' Employment and Training Service?

VETS is led by an assistant secretary. This individual is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The Assistant Secretary reports to the Secretary of Labor. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

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  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

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