Senator Schumer at Crouse Hospital
SYRACUSE -- In Central New York, more than 2200 veterans are unemployed. It's double the national average and the average in the state.
Currently, hospitals and businesses get tax credit for hiring qualified veterans, but those incentives are set to expire at the end of this year, unless a tax extenders package is passed in the Senate.
On Wednesday morning, New York Senator Schumer was at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse vowing to help unemployed war veterans. He's launching a campaign to save the credits and get our heroes back to work.
"Our veterans have risked their lives for us. They spent months and years overseas. We don't want them to spend months and years when they come back home on the unemployment line," he says.
Schumer says veterans often have a specific skill that sets them apart from other candidates.
"Here at Crouse, they can use people who are medics or nurses in the armed forces. If you've repaired a tank, you're probably pretty good at repairing a car. So, veterans have those kinds of skills, but they have other kinds of skills; teamwork, sense of duty, and courage," Schumer says.
The returning heroes and wounded warriors tax credits provide up to $9,600 in tax breaks for employers.
The exact amount depends on the length of time a veteran has been unemployed, and whether they have a service-connected disability.
Right now, Crouse employs about 100 veterans. It's looking to add five to seven more.
