Book Description

It is estimated that the unemployment that affects military spouses costs the U.S. economy almost one billion dollars a year. Past research suggests that employers' perception is that military spouses are migratory which may discourage some employers from hiring them. In recent years, several corporations have stepped forward as private-sector partners to challenge this perception. This research explored 1) the collaboration of private-public partnerships and corporations to increase the visibility and employment of military spouses, 2) challenges and limitations surrounding recruitment efforts and hiring practices in the private sector, and 3) how the government, non-profit organizations and major corporations are partnering together to destigmatize the employability of military spouses. Methodology included data collected through venue based sampling, secondary sources and interviews with key stakeholders in major corporations, government agencies and military installations. Analysis of data revealed that although great strides in awareness and collaboration have been made through public-private partnerships, the two very different worlds of government and private sector corporations appear to be working parallel to each other albeit towards the same goal, unable to converge due to barriers in the form of privacy laws and regulations, including the decentralization of spouse employment programs across various installations. Ironically, there is an abundance of resources and programs (public and private) meant to assist spouses in finding employment, however, there is lack of a single, comprehensive program that could be applied to military installations across all five branches of the armed forces. The transient lives of military spouses make it difficult for them to find and access the right information in the right place at the right time. Corporate employers do not experience the same limitations that governments do and instead maximize their large-scale presence by immersing themselves into military communities. Their primary recruitment tool is making themselves known as a military-friendly employer, allowing them to fulfill their hiring commitments.