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NEW YORK -- Thousands of military veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are living in New York City with no jobs -- when they could be paid for skills learned in the military or be retrained, a U.S. senator said Sunday.

"Too many of our troops who risked their lives protecting our country are returning home to an alarming rate of joblessness," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told a news conference at her Manhattan office.

Nationwide, the New York Democrat said, more than 20 percent of veterans ages 18 to 24 were unemployed in 2010.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gillibrand is sponsoring the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011. The legislation would help veterans through training, personal employment assessments, and workshops on resumes and interviews.

The senator was joined by a group of the city's veterans; Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; and Wesley Poriotis, founder of Veterans Across America.

In New York City, unemployment among veterans in general is 13 percent. Of an estimated 17,000 soldiers from the city who have served since 2001, more than 2,000 Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans are unemployed.

"When our brave men and women come home, we need to ensure they are equipped with the job skills needed so they can provide for their families," Gillibrand said.

The senator said she believes the bill will pass later this year. Under the legislation, members of the military would be required to undergo the job training before they left service.

According to the Department of Defense, up to one-third do not participate in the voluntary Transition Assistance Program led by the U.S. Department of Labor with the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In addition, federal hiring practices would change to utilize existing skills -- without duplicating them in the civilian labor force. For instance, veterans who drove military ambulances should not be required to repeat their training as civilians to do similar work, Gillibrand said.

Federal hiring practices also would change, allowing soldiers to begin the government employment process before they leave the military. And in the private sector, a competitive grant program for nonprofits would provide mentorship and job training programs to boost placements with companies.