Businesses pledge jobs for military spouses

As a military spouse, Kathy Roth-Douquet earned less than one-tenth of her previous salary. Now, as the CEO of Blue Star Families, she is committed to ensuring military spouses not only find employment but also earn enough to support their families.

“Military service members make tremendous sacrifices and put their lives on the line to serve our country,” Roth-Douquet said in a letter to supporters. “What can be overlooked, however, are the many sacrifices that their families make.”

Blue Star Families and other programs are participating in the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, which commits to providing for veterans and their families. As part of the initiative’s five-year anniversary this month, 40 companies pledged to hire 110,000 veterans and military spouses during the next five years.

“Military spouses are faced with unique challenges in starting and maintaining a career as a result of the military lifestyle they lead that requires frequent moves and sometimes being the single parent while their military spouse is deployed,” said Marine Lt. Col. Gabrielle Hermes, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

According to a recent study by Blue Star Families, the unemployment rate for military spouses is four times higher than the national average. Military spouses, who often move every two to three years, are six times more likely than civilians to hold jobs below their education level and skill set. The study also found military spouses who are employed tend to hold low-paying jobs. On average, those with bachelor’s degrees earn 40 percent less than their civilian counterparts.

The national unemployment rate is 5 percent—for veterans, it’s 5.8. But among military spouses, estimates range from 18 to 23 percent. Between loss of income tax and unemployment and healthcare benefits, unemployment of military spouses costs the government between $710 million and $1.07 billion annually, according to estimates.

To help military spouses find jobs, businesses and public initiatives are starting to set hiring quotas not only for veterans but also for military spouses.

One of the companies, Salesforce, pledged to train 35,000 military spouses. Salesforce employees can work remotely, which could ease the hardship of frequent moves. Other companies involved in the initiative include Amazon, Microsoft, and USAA.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.