Description/Abstract
The Military Spouse Employment Report examines the economic challenges facing military spouses—primarily female spouses of active‑duty service members. Frequent PCS moves, deployments, and unstable local labor markets lead to significantly higher unemployment and underemployment compared to civilian spouses. In 2013, unemployment among active‑duty spouses reached 32%, nearly double civilian rates. Income gaps are substantial: military spouses earn about 38% less than civilian peers, with income declining further when spouses move frequently or have young children. Underemployment is widespread—over 90% report being overqualified by education or experience for their jobs. Licensing and certification barriers further complicate employment, as 35% require professional credentials and move across state lines at ten times the civilian rate. Despite high educational attainment, many spouses work in lower‑paid fields due to relocation constraints. The report recommends improving licensing portability, expanding flexible work options, enhancing childcare support, and increasing awareness of employment programs.
Document Type
Report
Disciplines
Military and Veterans Studies
Extent
96 Pages
DCMI Type
Text
Keywords
Veteran employment, Unemployment, Statistics, Employment, Military spouse
Publisher
Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University
Date
2-2014
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Maury, Rosalinda V. and Stone, Brice, "Military Spouse Employment Report" (2014). Institute for Veterans and Military Families. 509.
https://surface.syr.edu/ivmf/509
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
