250 Years In: Here's How to Retain Military Spouses in the Workplace

Active duty servicemembers face permanent change of station (PCS) orders every 2-4 years, impacting around 400,000 American military personnel annually. That’s more than two times as many moves as their civilian counterparts, and these unexpected moves impact career opportunities for military spouses. 

Military spouse unemployment has remained stubbornly above 20% for more than a decade. As the program manager of talent acquisition programs at Navy Federal Credit Union, I recognize that the longstanding unemployment rate among military spouses does not reflect a lack of effort or talent. It reflects systems that have not fully adapted to the realities of military life. 

This plateau is especially significant, considering 43% of military spouses hold advanced degrees. That’s more than three times the national average, yet many military spouses remain overqualified and underpaid. 

What stands at the root of military spouse unemployment? Frequent moves, limited workplace flexibility and cumulative career interruptions. These insights are come from a three-year study, Endless Adaptation, Limited Progress: An Analysis of Military Spouse Employment Across the Military Family Life-Course, from Blue Star Families, in partnership with organizations including Navy Federal. The study reveals a 250-year evolution of systematic barriers across the military lifecycle.

Deploy Your Passion

After numerous moves with my husband during his 22-year U.S. Army career, I experienced firsthand career advancement challenges, which sparked my passion for military spouse advocacy. Today at Navy Federal, I support a dedicated military talent team that helps foster connection, engagement, and professional development for military-connected talent across the organization. 

For example, my colleagues on the internal mobility team manage our Military Spouse Career Continuity Program, which has an 81% retention rate for miliary spouses with relocation orders. We’ve retained more than 300 military spouses since 2022 by helping these employees explore available career pathways and resources to help maintain career portability as they move. My team focuses on how their strengths translate into leadership and adaptability, all of which naturally evolve from military life.

We’ve Got Your Six: How to Improve Retention 

Mentorship, work flexibility, and career portability are the key indicators of long-term employment stability according to the Blue Star Families study. Implementing workforce structures that support military lifecycles goes beyond benefiting military families. These programs strengthen our communities and military force readiness, too. 

Below are my recommendations for how military spouses can succeed in the workplace.

Build a Culture of Belonging 

Create a work culture that welcomes military spouses. This starts on your website, social media, and marketing channels. Internally, dedicated spaces, like employee resource groups (ERG), give military talent the safety to share their experiences with like-minded people and build community. Navy Federal leverages its Military Community Network ERG and Military Spouse Coffee Connect group to anticipate member needs. 

Most recently, insights from these groups evolved into our new mobile feature — a digital PCS checklist. The checklist helps members navigate an already stressful move with task reminders, such as managing account information to include address changes, review beneficiaries and canceling automatic bill payments or subscriptions. Veterans and military spouses understand our members best, which is why a quarter of our member-facing talent has a military connection.  

Cultivate Whole-person Wellness 

Support your employees in every aspect of wellness. Physical, mental, and financial wellness efforts only scratch the surface. People need connection, purpose, development opportunities, and safe environments to thrive. Access to caregiver resources and flexible work options significantly boost military spouse employment. Through a hybrid work model, Navy Federal offers a balance of in-person connection and networking opportunities with flexible work options. Additional benefits include access to mental health services and referral services for childcare and elder care. Employee engagement and well-being is built by supporting workers beyond their time in the office.

Design Supportive Talent Programming 

Combat career disruptions for military talent through policies that adapt to their unpredictable schedules. Establish partnerships with military-aligned organizations that make finding and onboarding military talent seamless. Oplign helps military spouses match their skills to Navy Federal jobs. Department of War SpouseWorks and Hiring our Heroes Military Spouse programs create networks for military talent looking for work. 

Employment barriers compound over time. They shape long-term career and financial outcomes for military families. But with evidence-based solutions, we can grow an ecosystem of change that sustains military spouse employment for years to come. 

For additional support, view the Employer Playbook, an eight-step guide to help organizations build an effective framework to support military spouse talent. 

Chryssy Johnson holds a PhD in Psychology and serves as the program manager of military talent acquisition programs at Navy Federal Credit Union. She specializes in veteran and military spouse hiring strategies and initiatives. Her team helps foster professional development for military-connected talent across the organization.