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A new study finds Alabama is the No. 12 best state for hiring veterans.

During the Great Recession, the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan Vets hovered between 13%-15%. Today, overall veteran unemployment is thankfully down to 2.8%, but helping vets reenter society with good jobs remains critical.

InMyArea.com today released a study on the Best and Worst States for Hiring Veterans using the most recent data from state and federal governments, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau and the Veterans Affairs Administration.

The rankings were determined by analyzing government hiring practices, unemployment rates, median income, veteran business ownership and job training investment per veteran in every state.

Here are key findings in Alabama compared to the national average:

• Veteran unemployment rate: 2.80% (national average: 3.47%)
• Change in unemployment since 2014: -50.0% (national average: 26.3% decrease)
• Median annual wage for veterans: $40,147 (national average: $41,828.58)
• Veteran owned businesses: 168.6 per 1,000 businesses (national average 148.21)
• Veteran Affairs job training expenditures: $556.56 per veteran (National average: $607.75)

Here are key national findings: 

• 10 best states for hiring veterans: New Jersey, Alaska, Virginia, California, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Dakota, Georgia, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
• 10 worst states for hiring veterans: Ohio, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Wyoming, West Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spent more than $180 billion on various programs for veterans in fiscal year 2018