Report highlights barriers to employment for civilian military spouses

The demands of military life can make it hard for civilian spouses to juggle work with other responsibilities. They often face frequent moves, overseas deployments, and a partner with irregular work hours.

This can make it difficult for spouses to find and keep a job, especially a full-time one.

Megan Brown has been a military spouse for more than a decade. She has three kids with her husband who is serving in the Army.

“You become the default house manager. So, you’re taking care of all of those things and that can really impact your ability to work,” said Brown.

Brown says her family is now getting ready to move from Georgia to Northern Virginia in just a few weeks. One of her biggest concerns: access to affordable childcare.

“Childcare is a huge barrier to military spouse employment,” said Brown. “We can’t really talk about one without talking about the other.”

Those barriers to employment for military spouses are the focus of a new watchdog report.

The findings from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) say about one-third of employed civilian military spouses worked part-time in 2021. Many pointed to childcare needs as a major reason.

“Nearly all military spouses we interviewed said they worked part time because they were the primary caregivers for their children,” the report said. “They said they needed flexible jobs with reduced hours because their service member spouse was not consistently or predictably able to contribute to childcare.”

The report points out that part-time work often means they aren’t earning as much and aren’t getting retirement benefits. Military spouses also reported a lack of opportunities for career advancement.

There are some proposals in Congress aimed at helping this issue.

We told you how Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is leading a bill with Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) to cover the cost of fees to transfer professional licenses or certificates for military spouses when they move.

“This is one of the top concerns that I hear about from military families,” Ossoff told our Washington News Bureau in March.

Congress is also considering proposals to expand childcare access for military families. It’s something Brown says is critical for parents stuck on long wait lists.

Brown said she’s fortunate to have a full-time job with remote work opportunities. But she knows that’s not always the case for everyone and is urging lawmakers to invest in these needs for military spouses.

“How can we make sure that they are ready and able to get employment when they want to?” said Brown.

The report says there are around 540,000 U.S. military spouses. Around 90 percent are women.

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