Can You Draw Unemployment From the Military

To combat unemployment, military spouses can be proactive to stay current professionally through many activities, like volunteering, taking classes, & more.

How Military Spouses Can Overcome Unemployment

Unemployment and the military spouse are often like bread and butter; they just go together. Frequent moves, separations, remote locations, and the demands of the military lifestyle can easily take a toll on how quickly a military spouse can find and maintain employment. There is much to take into consideration when facing unemployment including benefits, statistics, the reasons surrounding unemployment, and what can be done to be proactive in finding employment.

The State of Unemployment for Military Spouses

Most military spouses will face unemployment at some point during the service of the active member.  Currently, the military spouse unemployment rate is nearly triple the rate of the current United States unemployment rate, leaving a large number of spouses without work.

Unfortunately because of the "on the move" lifestyle, the military spouse also has a harder time fighting the unemployment statistics. Frequent moves make them look like job hoppers and despite being educated and having good work ethics, military spouses are rarely at a position long enough to be promoted. These two items together on a resume can make a military spouse look like an unattractive candidate within the candidate pool.

How to Overcome Unemployment

Luckily, there are benefits offered and proactive measures that can be taken to assist in combatting unemployment. Many states offer military spouses unemployment benefits as long as the cessation of employment is due to a required move on military orders. There are also numerous states that offer military spouses tax breaks on a range of items such as testing fees and licensure fees.

In addition to offered benefits, spouses can also be proactive in combating unemployment rates through many activities including:

• Speaking to current employers about workplace flexibility options or telecommuting arrangements.
• Taking educational classes to obtain a degree or certificate as well as furthering education through graduate classes.
• Participating in volunteer activities and organizations that will support networking opportunities as well as offer career specific experience.
• Utilizing base/post services to develop a stellar resume and gain confidence for interviews.
• Continuing to network within the military community as well as through professional organizations.
• Knowing yourself and your situation. Answering questions about short-term employment or long gaps of unemployment can be difficult. However, as a military spouse you have silently served and can easily explain why your employment/unemployment history looks the way. Make sure to answer the questions professionally and profoundly, as well as showcase your skills with utmost confidence.
• Looking at jobs that allow you to work from home. Although finding good, professional jobs that allow you to work from home, from anywhere, can kind be like looking for a needle in the haystack… it's still worth looking!  A great place to start is on FlexJobs' page for US National Telecommuting Jobs (even if you're stationed abroad, employers will often still consider you as US-based because you are legally allowed to work in the US and because you're on a US military base.)

Unemployment can be a dismal situation. However, for military spouses there are a number of services available on base/post that can offer support and resources. Additionally, spouses can continue to develop themselves professionally even when out or the workforce. While it may be an uphill battle, unemployment for the military spouse can be lowered through a range of personal activities and initiatives introduced by the government and business organizations.

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Can You Draw Unemployment From the Military

Source: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/unemployment-and-military-spouse/

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