Today, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, OFCCP, announced that, effective March 4, 2016, the annual hiring benchmark for veterans pursuant to Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act, VEVRAA, regulation is 6.9%.  This is a slight decrease from last year’s 7.0% benchmark.

As part of the release OFCCP clarified that

“Contractors who adopted the previous year’s national benchmark of 7 percent after March 4, 2016, but prior to this announcement may keep their benchmark at 7 percent.”

The agency noted that going forward the effective date for the annual benchmark will match the date the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the data from which OFCCP calculates the benchmark.  This usually takes place in March every year.