Michelle Obama says a construction industry pledge to hire 100,000 veterans by 2019 isn’t only the right and patriotic thing to do, but also a smart thing for business.

The commitments by 100 companies and associations in construction were being announced Monday at a conference sponsored by the Labor Department and the initiative Joining Forces, a nationwide effort launched by Mrs. Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to rally the U.S. around military veterans, active duty service members and their families.