WASHINGTON–Military families are no stranger to sacrifice. While the National Guard is “Always Ready, Always There,” service members’ spouses must be too.
According to DOD survey data, unemployment rates for military spouses are around five times higher than the national average. Frequent relocations are among the many sacrifices military families make, which puts barriers to employment on military spouses.
The Military Spouse Hiring Act would create incentives for businesses to hire military spouses by amending U.S. tax code, according to a press release from Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA).
Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Boozman (R-AR), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced the legislation with its House companion bill introduced by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), John Carter (R-TX-31) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).
The legislation would not only support service members and their families financially, it would benefit employers by incentivizing hiring from the dedicated, talented pool of military spouses. Under the bill, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program, which provides tax credits for hiring targeted groups including veterans, would expand to include military spouses as well.
EANGUS supports expanding the criteria of the WOTC to include military spouses, along with dozens of military service organizations and members of congress on both sides of the aisle. This bipartisan legislation aligns with the association’s goal of advocating for service members and their families.
