Veterans made up 44 percent of all federal government hires last year

Veterans made up 44 percent of the nearly 120,000 full-time hires the federal government made in 2015, The Washington Post reports. That's in keeping with a larger trend: The share of veterans among new government hires has stayed relatively constant since the Obama administration pledged in 2009 to give former veterans preferential consideration for job openings, with that number hovering around 45 percent for at least the last five years.

Some areas of government hired more veterans than others: A full 62 percent of Air Force new recruits last year had military backgrounds, as opposed to 46 percent at the State Department and 21 percent at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Due to the special treatment given to former military applicants, some federal offices have seen tensions arise among veteran and non-veteran employees and resentment among non-veterans who don't get the jobs, The Post reports. Some government experts also contend the policy "fails to give the government the best talent in real time." However, efforts to soften hiring advantages — such as a change to a military policy bill pushed by former service member Sen. John McCain — have been shut down thanks to veterans lobbying efforts.

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