Washington, D.C., May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Military spouse unemployment has remained stubbornly above 20% for more than a decade — several times higher than the national average, despite years of public and private sector efforts. It is a staggering plateau considering 43% of military spouses hold advanced degrees, more than three times the national average, yet many remain overqualified and underpaid. New research released today shows this challenge is systemic, shaped by structural barriers like frequent moves, limited workplace flexibility, and cumulative career interruptions across the military life cycle.
Navy Federal Credit Union, PenFed Credit Union, and USAA, in partnership with Blue Star Families (BSF) and the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), released findings today from a three-year longitudinal study while convening senior leaders at the Milken Institute in Washington, D.C. for the Military Spouse Employment Summit. The research provides one of the clearest pictures to date of how military spouse careers evolve over time and why, despite years of attention, outcomes have not meaningfully improved.
Representatives from Navy Federal Credit Union, PenFed Credit Union, and USAA joined Blue Star Families and D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families to release findings from a three-year longitudinal study on military spouse employment.
“One of the most persistent challenges facing military families is military spouse employment, and for more than a decade, Blue Star Families has worked to spotlight just how deeply military life disrupts spouse careers,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “Together with our partners at Navy Federal Credit Union, PenFed, and USAA, we’re moving beyond defining the problem and towards evidence-based solutions. This research identifies policies and practices with the potential to make a great difference. When military spouses have access to careers that can adapt to military life, it strengthens not just families, but force readiness and communities as well.”
As part of the Blue Star Families Military Spouse Employment Initiative, the study followed the same military spouses over three years, documenting how employment challenges and opportunities shift across different stages of military and family life. The findings show that barriers are not isolated — they build and compound over time, shaping long-term career and financial outcomes. The research also identifies factors that most strongly support long-term employment stability, like mentorship, work flexibility, and career portability. These factors, not demographic or military-branch specific, were the strongest predictors of sustained employment over time.
In a collective commitment to military families, this coalition also produced a Corporate Employer Playbook, offering actionable, evidence-based strategies for organizations committed to hiring and retaining military spouse talent. It provides organizations with concrete strategies to implement employment stability and create inclusive hiring practices that recognize military spouse talent, while also building retention strategies that account for military life realities.
Kathy Roth-Douquet speaks at the release of a new three-year longitudinal study on military spouse employment at the Milken Institute on Tuesday, May 19.
The collaboration demonstrates that lasting solutions to military spouse employment require collective action across sectors. When competitors come together around shared values, they create momentum for systemic change.
“Military spouses bring resilience, adaptability, and high-impact talent to the workforce,” said Britt Bloch, VP of Talent Acquisition Strategy and Recruiting at Navy Federal Credit Union. “By removing barriers tied to permanent change of station moves, employers unlock sustained contributions from top talent and meet military spouses where they are, geographically and professionally. We’ve seen tremendous value in designing meaningful career pathways for military spouse employment.”
“This partnership reflects a shared responsibility to the financial and professional stability of military families,” said Maura Watson, PenFed Credit Union Executive Vice President, Risk, Infosec, and Talent. “The findings are clear, and the solutions are actionable — PenFed has implemented many of these findings and will continue to support military spouses.”
“This three-year longitudinal study provides a critical, evidence-backed foundation for solutions that can be scaled across the private sector,” said Tami Cabaniss, Chief Human Resources Officer at USAA. “By understanding the systemic nature of these challenges, we can more effectively deliver on our Honor Through Action commitment. We aren’t just looking at data; we are using these insights to drive measurable change that bolsters the financial security and well-being of the military families we serve.”
“Too often, the challenges that limit military spouses’ careers are treated as a series of isolated setbacks,” said Dr. Stacy Hawkins, Managing Director for Research and Evaluation at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). “By tracking spouses over three years and translating the evidence into a resource guidebook, we are equipping employers and policymakers with the insights and tools needed to build durable, portable careers for those who serve alongside our nation’s servicemembers.”
Building on the evidence-based recommendations from this research, the coalition is also working to grow an ecosystem of change, stewarding more employers, policymakers, and community partners to take action on military spouse employment. Organizations are invited to adopt these practices and sign on to the 4+1 Commitment, presented by Blue Star Families and Hiring Our Heroes, a shared pledge to implement the solutions that make careers more portable, flexible, and sustainable for military spouses over the long term.
The full study and Corporate Employer Playbook are available at bluestarfam.org/mse-research
About Blue Star Families:
Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. A “blue star family” is the family of a currently serving military member, including active duty, National Guard, Reserve forces, and those transitioning out of service. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually through an expansive network of chapters and outposts. For more information, click here.
About the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families:
The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University is committed to serving those who have served. As the nation’s first interdisciplinary institute focused on the post-service lives of veterans and their families, the IVMF delivers career and entrepreneurship training, conducts groundbreaking research, and collaborates with communities across the country. To date, more than 240,000 participants have benefited from IVMF programs that empower building careers, businesses, and futures that strengthen America’s veteran community.
About Navy Federal Credit Union:
Established in 1933 with only 7 members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving more than 15 million members globally and is the world’s largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, Veterans, civilian and contractor personnel, and their families. Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 25,000 and has a global network of more than 380 branches. Navy Federal is contracted to operate the Overseas Military Banking Program under the authority of the Department of Defense, which provides Active Duty military Servicemembers deployed overseas with access to some 60 branches and hundreds of ATMs spread across 10 countries and territories. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org
About PenFed Credit Union:
Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is one of America’s largest federal credit unions, serving nearly 3 million members worldwide with $31 billion in assets. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services with members’ interests always in mind. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on X. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
About USAA:
Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and investment and retirement solutions to 13 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio,USAA has offices in seven U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs more than 36,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.
Contact Info
Angela Nicholas
anicholas@bluestarfam.org
+1 202-630-2583
