While there has been a heavy emphasis placed on bringing down the unemployment rate among post-9/11 veterans, less attention has been paid to the employment of military spouses, who often have trouble finding jobs due to frequent moves. However, over the last several months, private companies have made substantial progress in hiring military spouses, hitting the goal of 50,000 hires well ahead of the 2015 deadline.
The announcement was made at a recent meeting of the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council and marks a success for a program that launched in 2011. Jessica Wright, acting under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told those in attendance that the 180 employers who are part of a partnership with the Pentagon have hired 28,000 spouses since November to reach the 50,000 mark. In addition to help from the private sector, Wright praised first lady Michelle Obama and second lady Dr. Jill Biden for their efforts with the Joining Forces initiative.
"This is very important," Wright told the audience. "Without their advocacy role, we would not have been as successful."
While the program met its goals two years early, the employment climate for military spouses could improve even further. According to Army Times, there are more than 124,500 jobs listed on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership website.