{"id":47864,"date":"2019-05-23T12:00:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-23T12:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/23\/why-the-portable-certification-of-spouses-act-would-increase-employment-success-for-military-spouses-when-they-pcs\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:02:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:02:05","slug":"why-the-portable-certification-of-spouses-act-would-increase-employment-success-for-military-spouses-when-they-pcs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2019\/05\/23\/why-the-portable-certification-of-spouses-act-would-increase-employment-success-for-military-spouses-when-they-pcs\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Portable Certification of Spouses Act would increase employment success for military spouses when they PCS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spouses of those currently serving in the armed forces make numerous sacrifices to support their partners and families. Too often, and unnecessarily, their careers become casualties in the process. What better time to address this issue head on than now, during Military Appreciation Month?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a recent study on military spouses in the workplace by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation\u2019s Hiring Our Heroes initiative, moves between duty stations \u2014 known as permanent changes of stations (PCS) \u2014 play havoc on military spouse careers. In fact, 67 percent of military spouses say they had to quit a job because of a move. And 41 percent of these unemployed spouses needed more than four months to find a new one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding more complexity, 35 percent of military spouses work in a field that requires licensing (like real estate professionals, engineers, accountants and hairdressers) according to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. Of the 78 percent of spouses who reported experiencing a military move, only 11% of them say they acquired a new license after the move. <\/p>\n\n\n\t