WASHINGTON — About 21% of the nation's roughly 540,000 civilian military spouses are unemployed, according to the U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Blue Star Families — making them one of the highest unemployed demographics in the United States.
It has long been a problem in dire need of a solution.
Now, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) looks at the problem from another angle: military spouses who do work but part-time.
The GAO found that of the approximately 270,000 military spouses who were employed, about a third — or, 88,000 — worked part-time.
"They can't stay anywhere long enough to become vested, or they can't find a meaningful job in their field to be able to take retirement benefits," said GAO Education, Workforce, and Income Security team Director John Sawyer.
In an interview Wednesday with 13News Now, Sawyer said that while military spouses interviewed enjoyed the flexibility of part-time hours, those spouses also reported challenges like being underpaid, working outside their career field, being overqualified for their position and lacking opportunities for career advancement.
"Part-time employment is a challenge for the spouses of our military men and women. And we know that we want to do everything we can to provide meaningful employment to our families," he said.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) re-introduced the "Military Spouse Hiring Act" last year.
The legislation would expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program - encouraging employers to hire individuals who experience unique employment barriers, like military spouses.