Umeå Economic Studies,
Umeå University, Department of Economics

Abstract: Successfully finding and maintaining civilian employment is crucial for military veterans' reintegration into civilian society. This paper examines how formerly deployed Swedish military veterans are treated in civilian hiring situations using data from a stated-choice experiment. Approximately 1,000 survey respondents were asked to imagine advising on recruitment for a job similar to their own and to choose repeatedly between two hypothetical job applicants, some of whom were described as military veterans. The results indicate that former military deployment can be both an advantage and a disadvantage in job applications, depending on the occupational field and recruiter characteristics. Military veterans who served as infantry soldiers face obstacles when applying for jobs in social professions, especially if the recruiter is female or lacks personal experience with military veterans. Conversely, veterans who served in military staff positions are more likely to be called for an interview, particularly if the recruiter is male, has personal experience with military veterans, or if the job is for a managerial position. These findings suggest that the impact of military deployment on job prospects is highly context-dependent.

Keywords: military veterans; hiring; choice experiment; hiring bias

JEL-codes: C91; H56; J24; J71

Language: English

36 pages, October 2, 2025

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