Entering the 10th year after OFCCP implemented a protected veteran hiring benchmark, the agency has once again released a new benchmark for federal contractors to measure their hiring efforts. Effective March 31, 2023, the new benchmark percentage is 5.4%. Federal contractors using the annual national percentage of Veterans as the benchmark in their AAPs would begin using the 5.4% benchmark with their first AAP dated after March 31, 2023. Contractors can use OFCCP’s chart to ensure they are using the correct benchmark according to their plan date, found here. Contractors also have the option to develop their own hiring benchmark by using a five-factor method described here.