Governor wants more businesses to hire veterans

At a Veterans Day ceremony in Jacksonville Wednesday, Gov. Beverly Perdue announced a new "I Hire Military" campaign as part of her JobsNOW initiative to help strengthen the economy.

“The close relationship between the civilians and the military is one of the biggest reasons I’m proud to call North Carolina home,” Perdue said in a statement. “The ‘I Hire Military’ campaign is one more example of how North Carolina is the most military-friendly state in the nation.”

Businesses who want to participate must register with the state and pledge to hire veterans or military spouses whenever practical.

The campaign began as a partnership between the North Carolina Military Business Center and the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board. The campaign is running in four counties – Onslow, Carteret, Craven and Wayne– and will soon expand statewide.