Addressing Military Career Gaps 2026

Numerous new developments might affect the employment of military service members and their households and companies' compliance responsibilities in 2026. Changes vary from proposals to increase incentives for employing military partners to boosted employment securities for service members while on task. Military spouse job opportunity and assistance stay a focus for pending legislation.

, introduced earlier in 2025.

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Frequent Movings Frequent movings continue to strain military households and can make it more difficult for companies to hire and maintain military partners. Broadening the WOTC might create new incentives for employers to hire military spouses and use this underutilized skill pool. In addition, the Supporting Tours Across Years (STAY) Act (H.R. 6146), presented in November 2025, looks for to limit movings of active-duty servicemembers.

What Are the Best Employment Paths for Spouses ?

The U.S. Congress has not yet taken up the STAY Act this year, however if it is eventually enacted, it could lead to lowered PCS moves that might impact recruiting, retention, and remote-work policies for military partners. Military Re-Employment Protections Federal law already provides civilian employment leave protections for veterans and service members who are involuntarily or willingly deployed for military service.

In January 2025, Congress enacted the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Enhancement Act (Dole Act), that included provisions affecting USERRA enforcement and treatments. The Dole Act bolstered anti-retaliation securities and permitted complainants alleging USERRA offenses to look for minimum liquidated damages of $50,000 and lawyers' costs. Agencies and courts might continue to interpret and apply the Dole Act's USERRA-related arrangements.

New Company Resources In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL/VETS) introduced a program for employers to look for assistance for making sure compliance. The Support and Support for Leaders in USERRA Training and Work (SALUTE) program is an opportunity for companies to request technical guidance on USERRA-related questions or particular issues in their labor force before the beginning of a DOL/VETS problem or suit.

Concern actions consist of examining USERRA compliance programs and training, upgrading military leave and reemployment policies, verifying health-benefit continuation treatments, and lining up hiring and tax-credit screening processes to rapidly capture brand-new rewards for military spouses. Ogletree Deakins' new Military Workforce Practice Group combines a group of lawyers, a lot of whom are veterans or currently serving in the Reserves or National Guard, who regularly encourage on USERRA compliance, policy development, multistate execution, and examinations and litigation.

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The Updated Approach on VA Retirement

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For 10 years, Hiring Our Heroes has actually promoted military partner employment, developing pathways to chance and driving systemic change. As we commemorate this milestone, the 10th Annual Armed Force Partner Work Top will honor the tradition of progress while charting a strong course for the future. This year's summit focuses on Management & Tradition as we recognize the spouses, employers, and advocates who have actually changed the employment landscape and prepared the next generation to grow in a developing labor force.

Together, we will build on a years of service and success to produce a future where military partners lead with strength, vision, and function.

Military spouses face one of the most relentless employment spaces in the American workforce. According to information from the US Department of Labor, military partner joblessness has actually hovered around 20% or greater in current years. This far exceeds the nationwide average, which typically falls listed below 5%. An interview with Sarah Roder, Director of Partnerships & Member Engagement at Army Mutual and a military spouse herself, shows how those difficulties play out in practice and how spouses can browse them more effectively.