(The following report appeared at AssociatedContent.com on November 8.)
Each year GI Jobs issues a list of the top 50 friendly-military companies in an effort to help military personnel who are exiting their branch of service, find a job or career. The list is considered to be a who’s who among the top Fortune 1000 companies. Companies that make the list have experienced the greatest amount of success in hiring veterans and the list also covers every industry within the United States economy. According to GI jobs, the top 50 military friendly companies are not hiring veterans to be patriotic but rather to utilize the skills and training that the military instills so strongly within its personnel.
This year BNSF Railway was ranked as the number one employer on the list of the top 50 military friendly companies. Companies were ranked based on hiring military personnel, their National Guard/Reserve policies, percentage of veterans hired in the last two years, and their veteran recruitment/training promotional programs. This is the second time that BNSF Railroad has made the number one spot out of 2,500 companies. Union Pacific held the number one spot previously. According to GI Jobs, BNSF Railway was honored to be considered as the friendliest employer to military personnel and has worked hard to reach military personnel as they are exiting their branch of service.
While this list shows that some companies are receptive to military personnel, GI jobs states that it will become increasingly more difficult for veterans to find jobs because the nation is beginning to see the group known collectively as the baby boomers, age into retirement. Approximately 80 million baby boomers are expected to retire over the next twenty years. To exact the forecasted rate of retirement is 10,000 people per day. This combined with small economic growth makes it difficult for people to find jobs after their military service is complete.
Companies who vie for a spot on the list must have a minimum of $1 billion in annual revenues. Of the 2,500 companies only two percent actually made the list. GI Jobs has been making the list for five years and seven companies have made the list each year. Thos companies are American Electric Power, Brinks, GE, Merrill Lynch, Sprint Nextel, The Home Depot, and USAA. GI Jobs is published by Victory Media who also publishes Military Spouse and Veterepreneur Magazines. Victory Media is a veteran-owned company and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.