Corporate Support for Veterans Is Widespread, but Public Data Reveal Little About Career Progress

For Release

WednesdaySeptember 9, 2026

As the nation prepares to mark 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks—and a generation of post-9/11 veterans continue building civilian careers—a new RAND study finds that while many of America's largest companies publicly commit to supporting veterans, available data often cannot show whether those efforts translate into lasting career outcomes.

The study of S&P 500 companies found weak alignment between what companies say about supporting veterans, their philanthropic giving to veteran causes, and protected veteran hiring. Companies also rarely disclose whether veterans stay, advance, or move into management.

Researchers found a sharp decline in high-quality corporate disclosures about veteran programs in 2025 and the first half of 2026, coinciding with a broader corporate pullback from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The study does not establish that the DEI retreat caused the decline, but case studies suggest some companies had housed veteran programs alongside other DEI efforts, sharing staff and resources.