‘We’re Just Getting Started’: Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses Campaign Surpasses Hiring Goal
Less than three years after its launch and eight months before the campaign’s deadline, Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign surpassed its goal with more than 108,000 commitments.
Thanks to employers, like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Starbucks, USAA and WWC Global, Hiring Our Heroes reached its goal for the campaign early. This would not have been possible without the continued support of companies and businesses, of all sizes, across America collectively making a commitment to hire military spouses.
“The Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign created a national movement, elevating military spouse employment and providing real solutions for military spouses seeking 21st century career opportunities,” said Meredith Lozar, Senior Director of Military Spouse Programs at Hiring Our Heroes.
A variety of industries answered the call to hire military spouses. Some were virtual workplaces, like WWC Global; others were defense contractors like Booz Allen Hamilton. The list of committed companies included a sheriff’s department in Maryland, a university in California, and a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Nebraska.
Many small businesses committed to hiring one military spouse while a handful of national corporations hired as many as 1,500.
The Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign wasn’t only about new hires. Companies had the option of committing to report their current military spouse employees to Hiring Our Heroes. Many organizations had military spouses on their payrolls and don’t know it. This campaign was an opportunity to encourage their employees to self-identify as military spouses.
Military spouses face unemployment rates of 24% – nearly eight times higher than average for all adult women. This is due to a range of factors including frequent moves, increased family responsibility associated with partners facing frequent deployments, and being placed in rural areas or other locations where job prospects may be fewer and narrower and where military spouses’ social and professional ties may be weaker.
“Military spouses are the workforce solution that companies are looking for. They are tenacious, well-rounded, and possess a higher level of education than the general population,” Lozar said.
The Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign has reached its goal, but Hiring Our Heroes isn’t done working to move the needle on military spouse unemployment.
“We’re just getting started. There’s more to come in 2021,” Lozar said.
