UPDATE: White House: Companies Commit To Hiring 25,000 Veterans

First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday announced that companies such as ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) and Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN) are committing to hiring 25,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013.

The move is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to help get soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into the work force. President Barack Obama, who is on the final leg of a three-day bus tour of North Carolina and Virginia, also used the announcement to tout tax credits for businesses that hire veterans.

President Obama said soldiers shouldn't have to fight for jobs when they return from war. "Just think about how many veterans have led their comrades on life-and-death missions by the time they were 25. That's the kind of responsibility every business in America should want to take advantage of," the president said while speaking at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.

The first lady said the American Logistics Association, a group of companies that includes ConAgra, Tyson, Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) and PepsiCo Inc. (PEP), will commit to hiring 25,000 veterans and spouses by the end of 2013.

Pat Nixon, president of the American Logistics Association, said many of the companies in the group already frequently hire veterans. Still, he said, increasing awareness about the need to hire veterans and the special leadership skills they build on the battlefield should help boost employment for soldiers returning from war.

Nixon said veterans will have opportunities that span the "gamut" of positions, from entry-level jobs to management positions. Nixon said once chief executives see other companies making the commitment, they will follow suit.

Other business groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, already have partnered with the White House to help veterans land jobs. As part of his jobs plan, Obama has proposed providing tax credits to companies who hire veterans.

The president frequently bemoans the fact that veterans sometimes struggle to find jobs. "We ask these men and women to leave their careers, their families, to risk their lives for our country. The last thing they should have to do is fight to get a job when they come home," President Obama says frequently when pitching his jobs bill.

His jobs bill failed a full vote in the Senate. However, it is being broken up and will be voted on in pieces. The president said he expects both parties will support a provision to give tax credits to companies that hire veterans.

-By Jared A. Favole, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9256; jared.favole@dowjones.com

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