by Alan Taylor and Emily Anne Epstein

This week, our “Americans at Work” photo essay features photographs of military veterans returning to civilian lives in New York, made by photographer Emilie Richardson: “Like many Americans, veterans have experienced obstacles in finding employment since the economic decline in the 2000’s. With the passage of the post-9/11 GI Bill in 2001, which can cover a veteran’s entire educational costs, more and more veterans now have access to higher education. Many are pursuing degrees in medicine, and have access to work study programs in the field created by the Department of Veterans Affairs.