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RALEIGH -- The National unemployment rate has risen to 8.2 percent, the first increase in almost a year. One segment of the population feeling it the most is veterans, but the U.S. Chamber is trying to change that with its Hiring Our Heroes campaign.

"I do not want to get out without a job. I want to get out knowing I have something," said Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Alston of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Giving veterans a sense of job security is what has the U.S. Chamber hosting a handful of career expos across the country and overseas. They're connecting employers with skilled candidates who have high hopes of landing a job.

“We're always looking for folks who bring discipline, hard work and problem solving to table,” said Marc Pons, president of Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 785,000 veterans were unemployed in April.

"If you've been overseas, your network might be disconnected and your connection with local employers might be a challenge," said Aaron Nelson, president of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.

Easing that challenge ahead of time is what had some active military in attendance.

"I would much rather see what companies are looking for now rather than looking for a job later. They're pointing me in the right direction as to what they're looking for,” said Alston.

They say with an economy that's still struggling to stay afloat, knowing exactly what employers are looking for puts them in the fast track to a promising career.

"It's our way of saying thank you as well as finding talented employees and connecting them with local employers," Nelson said.

For more details about upcoming job fairs, go to: www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes