FORT CAVAROS, Texas (NewsNation) — Service members across the world protect our freedom, and as they fulfill their duty, their families often relocate from one military base to another. In the midst of already challenging circumstances, many spouses face the additional hurdle of securing employment in new cities.
The unemployment rate among military spouses exceeds the national unemployment rate by more than fivefold.
Military spouses possess the potential to fill jobs in critical areas such as education, nursing and social services.
Despite the overall unemployment rate in the U.S. standing at about 3.7%, the rate of available jobs is nearly double, signifying a pressing demand for qualified individuals in the workforce.
According to a report from Blue Star Families, the unemployment for military spouses is nearly 21%
For many military families, while at least one member is protecting us at home and abroad, often their spouse has had to move from family, friends and their jobs.
“In our family, we have relocated five times now, and with it, we have another one set up for next month,” said Jessica Strong, who is a military wife.
Strong’s husband serves as an active-duty member of the Army. Their family has lived in various locations around the world.
“So you have to rebuild those support networks over and over again, and it can be really challenging, particularly for spouses to maintain a career,” Strong said.
Cynthia Rivera’s family has experienced the challenges of military relocation, having been uprooted by the Army five times within a span of seven years. Currently residing in Hawaii, they’re soon preparing for another move to Georgia.
While living in paradise isn’t lost on them, Rivera’s professional aspirations have been temporarily derailed due to the frequent relocations.
“I carry two social work licenses in two states, but I’ve never been able to get a full clinical license,” Rivera said. “That’s been my major sticking point, and honestly, like forcing me out of my career field.”
Both Strong and Rivera are members of Blue Star Families, an organization dedicated to providing support and resources to military families like theirs.
“A Blue Star family is a member of the currently serving military active duty guard and reserve,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO and co-founder of Blue Star Families.
Blue Star Families, along with the U.S. government, has been working to fill the military spousal unemployment gap.
“This is a really low unemployment rate in America right now, 3-4%,” Roth-Douquet said.
A staggering 20% of military spouses are actively seeking employment but are unable to find jobs. However, among those who are employed, the majority have said they feel underemployed.
The situation indicates that even for the spouses with a job, 60% aren’t working to the level at which they’ve been trained or even been employed in the past.
According to the 2021 and 2022 Blue Star Families lifestyle survey, child care, the need for work opportunities with flexible schedules and the lack of reciprocity for professional licenses and certification are among the biggest barriers military spouses face to employment.
“Some of the professions that are being impacted the most are the ones that are most popular among military spouses, and those include in education and in health care,” Roth-Douquet said.
Currently, the federal government is working to cut through some of the red tape.
“Oftentimes people forget that spouse is served right along with their service member,” said U.S. Department of Labor Assistant Secretary of Veterans’ Employment James Rodriguez. “One of the things that we’ve done since day one, this administration is looking at how can we ensure that our spouses are also finding meaningful employment.”
In June, President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing the federal government to recruit and employ more qualified military spouses. Prior to that, he signed a new law that allows the transfer of professional licenses from one state to another more easily.
“Having an agreement in place that allows reciprocity across the entire nation will be something that we know would be life-changing for a lot of spouses,” said Rodriguez.
Blue Star Families said the initiatives by the government are positive steps forward, but more work still needs to be done.
“So some spouses are finding, much to their dismay, that when they actually get to a state, there’s a lot of hurdles they have to go through in order to actually achieve that portability that’s promised, it’s not an automatic thing,” said Roth-Douquet.
The ultimate goal is to increase employment opportunities for military families, particularly military spouses, and contribute to the overall growth of the economy.