Army Hits Annual Recruiting Goal Months Ahead of Schedule

The Army announced Tuesday that it had already reached its annual goal of recruiting 61,000 active-duty soldiers, fueled by efforts to reach out to young Americans who historically have been unqualified to serve and likely a weakening economy.

Trump's ongoing trade war and economic instability caused a 0.3% contraction in the U.S. economy in the first quarter of this year, the worst quarterly performance in three years. Youth unemployment has also edged upward as companies cut back on entry-level hiring amid volatility in the tech sector and the rapid rollout of artificial intelligence in some companies.

Among the Army's recruits counted for this year, 11,000 joined last year through the delayed-entry program, which allows young applicants, primarily high school seniors, to commit to service early and ship to basic training after they graduate.