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This post was originally published in May 2025 and updated in May 2026.
By Hannah Schoepp, Washington State Veterans employment representative
May is time to recognize the unwavering strength, resilience and sacrifices of military spouses. National Military Spouse Appreciation Month highlights their vital role in supporting service members and sustaining military communities. Their dedication often comes with unique challenges: frequent relocations, career interruptions and the emotional toll of military life.
May is also Hire-a-Military-Spouse Month, a state initiative aimed at promoting career opportunities for military spouses. Despite their adaptability and diverse skill sets, military spouses often struggle with employment due to the uncertainty of military life.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) reported that 81% of military families experience at least one change of duty station, requiring moving their household. In addition, 67% of spouses say that lack of child care affected their ability to pursue a job or education.
For those reasons and more, the unemployment rate for military spouses in 2025 was 23% — 5 times more than the current national unemployment rate of 4.3%.
Read more:
- 2025 Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey.
- USDOL fact sheet about military spouses (PDF, 1,269KB).
This month serves as a call to action for employers, policymakers and communities to actively support the career growth of military spouses.
The Military Spouse Initiative: breaking barriers in Washington
Washington is leading the way in supporting military spouses. The Military Spouse Initiative is designed to remove employment barriers, provide essential resources, and advocate for spouses. This initiative helps spouses find meaningful careers by addressing job market challenges and connecting them with opportunities, resources and benefits.
A key part of the initiative is the military spouse liaison, the first role of its kind in the U.S. It was established in 2021 to advocate for military spouses and connect them with resources. Washington’s liaison, Olivia Burley, communicates directly with spouses statewide.
“Most people think that housing, food and childcare are provided for military families, but they’re not,” said Burley. “A lot of military families struggle to meet their basic needs.”
Burley meets with military spouses, hears their concerns and then brings those issues to federal, state and other partners to influence policies, practices and legislation.
You can schedule a virtual meeting with Olivia Burley through Outlook.
How we all can make a difference year ‘round
Honoring military spouses goes beyond appreciation days. It requires continuous support and meaningful action. Here are some impactful ways to help.
- Everyone: To the military spouses you know, offer child care, help with errands, or just check in.
- Employers: Embrace remote work, flexible schedules and hiring initiatives tailored to military spouses. Let your military spouse employees know they may be eligible for unemployment benefits if they need to move out of state because of a change of duty station.
- Community organizations: Create mentorship programs and clubs to help ease transitions and foster stability for military spouses.
Military spouses make countless sacrifices, and their dedication deserves recognition — not just in May, but every day. By offering support, promoting job opportunities, and advocating for positive change, we can help them thrive in their personal and professional lives.
Author Hannah Schoepp works for the Employment Security Department.