One in nine veterans unemployed, and this is one young soldier's story

Like the rest of Americans living in a time of great economic uncertainty, Timothy Bies is worried about his future. But Bies is at an even greater disadvantage than the rest of the country. Newly married and 20 years old, Bies is a combat arms soldier, training to deploy to Afghanistan. The job market is scarce, but it's especially scarce for veterans. For now, he's hoping that when he completes his tour in a year, there will be a place for him in the civilian workforce.

We knew it was bad for veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, but we didn't know just how bad until now. The numbers came out Friday, on the 6th anniversary of the Iraq War, broadcasting 11.2% unemployment. That's one in every nine veterans without a job. And because it is often tougher to track data on veterans, many believe the actual number is much higher.

"Every problem in America right now is hitting veterans harder," says Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "We're welcoming troops home with a yellow ribbon and an unemployment check."