Effective March 31, 2017, the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) lowered the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) hiring benchmark from 6.9% to 6.7%.

Of particular interest to contractors who have already completed their 2017 affirmative action programs, the OFCCP stated that contractors that adopted the 2016 benchmark of 6.9% could choose to keep their benchmark at 6.9%, rather than adopting the 2017 benchmark. Contractors also have the option of developing an alternative benchmark based on other pertinent factors, including the veterans in the civilian labor force in the area where the establishment covered by the plan is located. 

The VEVRAA hiring benchmark is calculated annually to reflect the national percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force. The OFCCP requires contractors to compare the percentage of protected veterans within their employee ranks against the VEVRAA hiring benchmark to evaluate the level of success of their veteran outreach and recruitment activities. The hiring benchmark requirement first became effective March 24, 2014, and was set at 7.2%.