The zones will “foster collaboration between key stakeholders to help identify best practices that will support and advance the mission of connecting military spouses with meaningful employment opportunities.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes and USAA have teamed up to create a program specifically designed to address the military spouse employment gap.
Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones, or MSEEZ, will be established to help military spouses network and ultimately find employment in high quality career fields. Hiring Our Heroes and USAA announced that San Antonio, Texas will be the first city designated as a MSEEZ.
According to a press release, the zones will “foster collaboration between key stakeholders to help identify best practices that will support and advance the mission of connecting military spouses with meaningful employment opportunities.” The hope is that by creating these opportunities, the program will help in “ultimately strengthening the financial security of our 21st century military families.”
What the program will offer
The Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones will be established in cities that have a large population of military families. San Antonio has been selected as the pilot city to gather feedback on how the mission will be carried out.
The National partners were joined by local leaders, who called on the local business community to support the initiative and military spouse employment.
According to a report on the San Antonio announcement, the program will work with existing resources for military spouses and employers, bringing them together for better utilization. As a founding party, USAA will be involved in the efforts. Other participants will include Joint Base San Antonio and the Military Officers Association of America.
The National partners were joined by local leaders, who called on the local business community to support the initiative and military spouse employment. “We at the City Council, the mayor, myself, and all my peers are going to ask you to open your eyes and give that one extra special shot to somebody who’s already serving their country. And that’s a military spouse,” said City Councilmen Greg Brockhouse to local business owners.
By the numbers
In a survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2017, military spouse participants were surveyed and provided data about their employment status in an effort to further understand both how military families are structured and what they need. This became the driving factor for the MSEEZ initiative.
The Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones aim to address the employment issues that military spouses face as they have to relocate, explain gaps in their resumes, or adjust to deployment cycles.
Data showed the military spouse employment rates were significantly lower than their civilian counterparts. Military spouses, who are 92% female, face unemployment rates of 16%, compared to just 4% for adult women in the United States.
Underemployment is another significant challenge that the initiative is trying to address. 70% of the spouses surveyed “do not believe that their education or past work experience is being fully utilized in their current job.” Additionally, 63% responded that “they held previous positions that required greater skills or responsibilities.”
77% of those who responded to the survey reported that “having two incomes is vitally important to their family.” Yet only 50% of military families with children actually had two incomes. This is the statistic that the U.S. Chamber and USAA want to change.
The Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones aim to address the employment issues that military spouses face as they have to relocate, explain gaps in their resumes, or adjust to deployment cycles. Creating opportunities for military spouses to advance their own careers is seen as a readiness issue. Spouse employment challenges were cited as a reason that many service members choose to leave the military.
Whether it is the financial burden or lack of professional fulfillment, military spouse employment is an issue that needs to be addressed to maintain the best military force possible. Will Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones make a difference? We’ll have to keep an eye on San Antonio to see.
