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Military Spouse Employment: DOD Should Continue Assessing State Licensing Practices and Increase Awareness of Resources

GAO-21-193 Published: Jan 27, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 27, 2021.
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Fast Facts

As of 2018, there were more than 605,000 spouses of U.S. military active duty service members. Frequent moves and difficulty transferring occupational licenses are some of the challenges that these spouses may face when pursuing careers.

The Department of Defense offers various resources, like virtual career coaching, to help military spouses find jobs. But inconsistent information-sharing across DOD limits the effectiveness of outreach about these resources. In addition, DOD doesn't plan to continue assessing and reporting on states' efforts to help military spouses transfer occupational licenses. Our recommendations address these issues.

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Highlights

What GAO Found

According to estimates from Department of Defense (DOD) survey data, roughly one-quarter of military spouses who were in the workforce and in career fields that required credentials (state licenses or certifications) were unemployed in 2017. In that same year, about one-quarter of spouses who were employed in credentialed career fields were working outside their area of expertise, and about one in seven were working part-time due to a lack of full-time opportunities—two potential indicators of underemployment. Employment outcomes for military spouses may also vary due to other factors, including their partner's rank and frequent moves, according to DOD survey data and GAO's literature review.

In February 2020, the Defense State Liaison Office, which works on key issues affecting military families, assessed states' use of best practices that help military spouses transfer occupational licenses. For example, the Liaison Office found that 34 states could increase their use of interstate compacts, which allow spouses in certain career fields, such as nursing, to work in multiple states without relicensing (see figure). However, the Liaison Office does not plan to continue these assessments, or assess whether states' efforts are improving spouses' experiences with transferring licenses. As a result, DOD may not have up-to-date information on states' actions that help spouses transfer their licenses and maintain employment.

Assessment by the Defense State Liaison Office of Number of States Using Interstate Compacts to Improve Military Spouse Employment

Assessment by the Defense State Liaison Office of Number of States Using Interstate Compacts to Improve Military Spouse Employment

DOD and the military services use a range of virtual and in-person outreach to promote awareness of employment resources among military spouses. For example, officials GAO interviewed at installations said they promoted resources through social media and at orientation briefings. Nonetheless, GAO found that inconsistent information sharing across DOD and with external stakeholders who help spouses with employment hindered the effectiveness of outreach. For instance, officials from two services said they do not have methods to regularly exchange outreach best practices or challenges, while officials from another service said they have quarterly staff calls to share lessons learned. Without strategies for sharing information among internal and external stakeholders, DOD may miss opportunities to increase spouses' awareness of available resources, and improve their employment opportunities.

Why GAO Did This Study

There were over 605,000 spouses of active duty servicemembers in the U.S. military as of 2018. These spouses may face conditions associated with the military lifestyle that make it challenging to start or maintain a career, including frequent moves and difficulties transferring occupational licenses.

House Armed Services Committee Report 116-120 accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO to review several matters related to military spouse employment. This report examines (1) selected employment outcomes for military spouses, (2) DOD's efforts to evaluate states' licensing policies for spouses, and (3) DOD's outreach efforts to promote awareness of employment resources. GAO reviewed DOD documentation and 2017 survey data (most recent available), relevant literature, and federal laws; interviewed DOD and military services officials and relevant stakeholders; and spoke with staff at six military installations selected based on the numbers of servicemembers, among other factors.

Recommendations

GAO is making two recommendations to DOD to continue assessing and reporting on states' efforts to help military spouses transfer occupational licenses, and to establish information sharing strategies on outreach to military spouses about employment resources. DOD concurred with both recommendations.

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy work with the Defense State Liaison Office to ensure continued assessment and reporting on each state's progress towards implementing best practices for facilitating licensure portability for military spouses, and explore options for assessing whether states' actions are improving spouses' experiences with transferring licenses. (Recommendation 1)
Open – Partially Addressed
As of October 2023, the Defense State Liaison Office (DSLO) contracted for research to assess state licensing board support of military spouses in six occupations across all 50 states. The results of this evaluation verified that states have additional work to do to make license application practices accessible to military spouses, according to DSLO. Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, the military services are required to evaluate military spouse licensure as part of strategic basing decisions and provide consistent feedback to state officials. DSLO also worked with the military services to ensure ongoing evaluation and assessment of states' efforts around licensure portability and provided some documentation describing the military services' methodologies for their evaluation efforts. While these are positive steps, we will close this recommendation when DOD shares additional information and documentation demonstrating that it (1) provides states with periodic formal assessments that document the areas in which states can improve licensure portability for spouses, and (2) is exploring options for examining whether states' actions are improving spouses' experiences transferring licenses.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military services and external stakeholders, establish strategies for sharing information on their outreach approaches to raise awareness of employment resources among military spouses. (Recommendation 2)
Closed – Implemented
As of October 2023, DOD holds bi-monthly meetings with the military services to discuss new and ongoing initiatives for military spouses, as well as quarterly meetings with the services' spouse employment and communications personnel to share information on outreach strategies and education and employment resources. Additionally, DOD meets quarterly with the Spouse Ambassador Network to raise awareness across stakeholder groups about military spouse education and employment initiatives. DOD also provided documentation of sample agendas and presentations used to facilitate these meetings, including a presentation on best practices for enhancing outreach to military spouses about employment resources.

Full Report

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Topics

Best practicesCareer planningEmployment assistanceEmployment opportunitiesInformation sharingInterstate programsMilitary dependentsNeeds assessmentOccupational certificationsUnderemploymentUnemployment