Military Spouse Employment Initiative
Home » Military Spouse Employment Initiative
Advancing Military Spouse Employment
Moving Past Systemic Barriers
A new report from Blue Star Families and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), in partnership with Navy Federal Credit Union, PenFed Credit Union, and USAA, shares findings from a three-year longitudinal study on military spouse employment — and what it reveals about the real-world impact of policy, mobility, and support gaps on military families.
Military spouse employment is a readiness issue. When spouses can’t build stable careers, it affects family financial security, retention, and the strength of the All-Volunteer Force.
Understanding the Military Spouse Employment Gap
Military life is defined by adaptability. Military spouse careers should be too.
What Does the Data Say?
Key Insights:
-
No Two Military Spouse Career Journeys Look the Same
The study uncovered that throughout the seven distinct military life stages, each stage identified different employment barriers and support needs.
-
Military Spouse Careers Are Built to Break
Only 22% of participating military spouses maintained full-time employment across all three years of the study, underscoring how difficult career continuity can be in military life.
-
A Highly Skilled Workforce, Left Behind
43% of participating spouses held advanced education credentials, yet many still struggled to maintain stable career paths due to repeated relocations and career disruptions.
-
A Constant Cycle of Career Disruption
Many spouses moved in and out of the workforce repeatedly because of PCS moves, deployments, childcare challenges, and unpredictable military schedules.
-
Flexibility is the Key to Staying Employed
Flexible and remote jobs emerged as one of the strongest predictors of sustained employment, while rigid work structures often pushed spouses out of the workforce.
-
Childcare Challenges Are Driving Financial Instability
Childcare costs and unpredictable schedules were among the top reasons spouses left the workforce.
Closing the Loop: An Eight–Step Guide to Building a Holistic Military Spouse Employment Program
Military spouse employment has been a top issue for military families for more than a decade. Despite the concerted efforts of government leaders, philanthropic supporters, corporate collaboratives, and military and veteran-supporting organizations targeting this issue, the military spouse unemployment rate has stubbornly remained at more than 20%* for over a decade, several times more than the comparable civilian rate.
Navy Federal Credit Union, PenFed Credit Union, and USAA partnered to address this intransigent issue, and invested in this research to determine what works to help military spouses obtain meaningful, long-term employment.
*US Department of War. 2024. "2024 Demographics Profile Data:Active-Duty Families, Spouses" Military OneSource.
In Partnership With:
