OLYMPIA, Wash.- Two federal agencies are coordinating to expand employment opportunities for military spouses.
The Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget announced a strategic plan extending to 2028 which incentivizes public employers to hire members of military families.
First Lady Jill Biden touted the move by the executive branch as a boost to national security and military families.
“Addressing military spouse unemployment is critical to our national security and that’s why the President has taken action,” Biden said.
Military spouses often find difficulty maintaining employment if their partners are active-duty servicemembers, which are often required to move to conduct their work.
The strategic plan emphasized creating flexible employment opportunities as a priority for federal employers.
According to the White House Council of Economic Advisors, there are about 690,000 military spouses in the United States, around 88% of whom are not in the military themselves. They are disproportionately female, overeducated and under-employed compared to the broader US population.
Whether the new federal plan will be able to better integrate this population into the workforce will depend on how it is implemented and wider employment trends.
