White House Announces New Guidlines to Help Military Spouses Keep Their Careers

A new report by Joining Forces shows some of the employment difficulties that military spouses face. As part of the Joining Forces initiative to support military families, the Obama administration has announced plans to make it easier for military spouses to keep their careers in spite of multiple moves -- and lower unemployment rates at the same time.

According to a new report -- "Supporting our Military Families: Best Practices for Streamlining Occupational Licensing Across State Lines," which was presented at the Pentagon by first lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Wednesday -- streamlining the licensing procedure, offering a grace period for newly transferred military spouses, and providing temporary licesnses would "make a meaningful difference in the lives of many military families."

"A spouse's employment plays a key role in the financial and personal well-being of military families, and their job satisfaction is an important component of the retention of service members," the report said. "Without adequate support for military spouses and their career objectives, the military could have trouble retaining service members."

Military families move 10 times as often as civilian families, Joining Forces Executive Director Brad Cooper told reporters on Tuesday, and about a third of military spouses work in jobs that require a state-issued license -- something they often need to get all over again each time they move to another state. Since licensing requirements vary from state to state, difficulties in transferring existing licenses can make it harder for military spouses to find jobs each time they have to move, leading to skyrocketing unemployment rates and stress for military families.

Teaching, child-care services, and nursing are the three most-common occupations among military spouses, the report said. "As time passes and I am unable to find work, my career dies and I feel like I have to abandon my personal and professional goals because my spouse is [in the] military," one person wrote in a survey for the report. "Having to leave an excellent job behind, be unemployed for months, then underemployed…. all of this affects out family's finances."

As of June 2011, the unemployment rate for military spouses was a whopping 26 percent as of June 2011 -- more than three times higher than the 8.3 percent unemployment rate among civilian workers, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor and Statistics.

Eleven states have already adopted legislation that supports license portability for military spouses; another 13 states have proposed legislation pending.

"The goal is for states to adopt legislation by 2014," Cooper said.

Have you had to re-apply for an occupational license because of a move? What roadblocks did you face?

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