Boosting the Hiring of Military Spouses

Blumenthal joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and John Boozman (R-AR) in introducing the Military Spouse Hiring Act, legislation to amend the tax code to incentivize businesses to hire military spouses. According to a survey by Blue Star Families, military spouse employment is the top issue impacting active-duty families, and the top contributor to financial stress among military families. Military spouses consistently experience unemployment rates substantially higher (opens in a new window) than the national rate, and two thirds of employed active duty military spouses report underemployment (opens in a new window). Frequent moves often stall military spouses’ upward career progression and force them to find new jobs. This hurts military families and military readiness.

This legislation would address the issue by expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program—which incentivizes employers to hire individuals who experience unique employment barriers—to include military spouses.