Hiring Our Heroes Tackles 21% Military Spouse Unemployment With Virginia Beach Job Event
Updated
Updated · The Virginian-Pilot · May 25
Hiring Our Heroes Tackles 21% Military Spouse Unemployment With Virginia Beach Job Event
3 articles · Updated · The Virginian-Pilot · May 25
Hiring Our Heroes held a professional development workshop and hiring event in Virginia Beach in late April, targeting military spouses in Hampton Roads, where military families face mounting financial strain.
Military spouse unemployment runs about 21% to 22%—roughly five times the rate for women nationwide above 4%—as frequent relocations make employers wary despite spouses' strong education levels.
That employment gap hits military families especially hard as groceries, gas and childcare costs rise, and it also complicates armed-forces retention when spouses cannot build careers or add income.
Virginia has eased professional license transfers for relocating military spouses, while Sen. Tim Kaine is backing a bipartisan Military Hiring Act to extend Work Opportunity Tax Credit incentives to employers who hire them.
The push in Hampton Roads reflects a broader effort to make military communities more supportive of service families, including greater openness to flexible and remote work for spouses.
With a key tax credit for hiring military spouses now expired, what is the next major push to solve this employment crisis?
Is it more effective to change military relocation policy or to expand career support programs for military spouses?
Beyond stateside jobs, how can complex legal barriers be dismantled for military spouses seeking careers while stationed overseas?