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Summary of the Evaluation of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership

Core Content

The Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) is a program under the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) initiative, launched in 2011 to support the employment of military spouses. The program was mandated for evaluation by the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (PL 113-291), requiring the Department of Defense to assess its effectiveness in addressing unemployment, underemployment, and wage gaps between military and civilian spouses. This report presents the findings from the first stage of analysis, focusing on Task 1 and Task 2, and outlines the next steps in the evaluation process.

Main Objectives of the Study

• Provide guidance on data and metrics for evaluating the MSEP.
• Assess whether the MSEP is:
  • Addressing unemployment and underemployment among military spouses.
  • Matching military spouses' education and experience to available employment positions.
  • Closing the wage gap between military and civilian spouses.

Key Findings

Task 1: Description of MSEP Partners

• As of July 28, 2015, the MSEP had 288 partners, including 272 employers and 16 nonprofit organizations from the Spouse Ambassador Network.
• The majority of employer partners are in professional and business services, education, healthcare, and finance.
• 70% of employer partners offer part-time employment.
• 25% offer contractual, temporary, or seasonal positions.
• 43% offer telework opportunities, indicating a growing trend in the private and public sectors.
• Partners are mostly headquartered in the southern U.S. and have national or international presence.

Task 2: Job Postings on the Career Portal

• The MSEP career portal contains job postings spread across the U.S., suggesting geographic reach.
• More than half of the frequently searched keywords in job titles align with available job titles and descriptions.
• 46% of job postings include experience requirements, with common levels being six months or more, one year or more, and two years or more.
• 36% of job postings mention educational degree requirements, with bachelor’s degree being the most sought after (15%), followed by high school diploma (12.5%) and associate’s degree (6%).
• 19% of job postings mention licenses or certificates.
• The portal aligns well with the educational and experience levels of military spouses, who often have limited experience or education.
• However, some career fields such as education and software development are underrepresented, which may limit the portal's effectiveness in those areas.

Challenges Facing Military Spouses

• Military spouses are often tied migrants, meaning they move due to their spouse's service, which can disrupt career trajectories.
• Frequent relocations contribute to geographic displacement, mismatch between education and job opportunities, and employer bias.
• Unemployment rates for military spouses are significantly higher than for civilian spouses, especially among young women.
  • 30% of 18–24-year-old female spouses were unemployed (vs. 11% for civilian counterparts).
  • 15% of 25–44-year-old female spouses were unemployed (vs. 6% for civilian counterparts).
• Underemployment is also prevalent:
  • Many work part-time involuntarily.
  • Some have higher education levels than required for their jobs.
• Military spouses earn less than their civilian counterparts, even when working the same number of hours.

Demographic Characteristics of Military Spouses

• 93% of active-duty military spouses are women.
• 52.6% are 30 years old or younger.
• 70% have children, with 78% under the age of 12.
• Military spouses are younger and more likely to have children compared to civilian spouses.
• They are also more likely to be racial or ethnic minorities.
• 58% have associate’s degrees or higher, and only 1–2% lack a high school diploma, which is much lower than the national average of 15%.
• Civilian spouses are twice as likely to have dropped out of high school compared to military spouses.

Next Steps

• Task 3: Analyze military spouse participants' perspectives on the program's utility and performance.
• Task 4: Provide guidance on data and metrics for continued monitoring and evaluation.
• Task 5: Offer recommendations to improve the MSEP's processes, components, and policies to better support employment, wages, and career satisfaction.

Conclusion

The MSEP has a diverse and well-represented set of employer partners, and its career portal appears to offer job opportunities that align with the educational and experience levels of military spouses. However, gaps in representation for certain career fields and underlying challenges such as geographic displacement and employer bias may limit the program's effectiveness. Further research is needed to fully assess the program's impact and to identify areas for improvement and expansion.