{"id":62852,"date":"2020-08-30T19:44:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-30T19:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/30\/covid-19-exacerbates-job-woes-for-veterans-military-spouses\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:51:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:51:32","slug":"covid-19-exacerbates-job-woes-for-veterans-military-spouses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/08\/30\/covid-19-exacerbates-job-woes-for-veterans-military-spouses\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 exacerbates job woes for veterans, military spouses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AUGUSTA, Ga. \u2014 The unemployment rate for veterans was 2.9% when 2019 came to a close. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic upends the U.S. economy, that figure has more than tripled, leaving nearly 800,000 veterans searching for work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Allen Walker is one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 38-year-old south Augusta resident and Army veteran has spent all of 2020 trying to find a tech job with his new management information systems degree from Augusta University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The former ammunition specialist with 12 years of service \u2014 including a tour in Afghanistan \u2014 said he believes the pandemic has made it more difficult to get a foot in the door. It\u2019s hard to make an impression through emails and virtual meetings, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSome employers want to see how you interact face-to-face,\u201d he said. \u201cMost people like to meet face-to-face. Due to this situation (the pandemic), that is not viable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2020\/08\/07\/veterans-unemployment-down-for-third-month-in-a-row-but-still-double-pre-pandemic-levels\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20205497921116.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Veterans unemployment down for third month in a row, but still double pre-pandemic levels<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">About 700,000 veterans were looking for work in July, an improvement over recent months.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walker, who was medically discharged in 2012 for a lower back injury, has received help with his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and interview skills through the Wounded Warrior Project\u2019s \u201cWarriors to Work\u201d career counseling program. The Jacksonville, Florida-based nonprofit helped him improve his interview skills and polish his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and cover letter, which he said has led to more callbacks from employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I first started looking, my resume was not up to par. It had been a while since I had applied for positions,\u201d acknowledges Walker, whose last job before pursuing an information technology degree was co-owning a gourmet popcorn business in Augusta and Columbus, Georgia, that lasted about four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walker has found that demonstrating his worth was easier in the Army than it is in the private sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou don\u2019t have to \u2018sell yourself\u2019 at all in the military,\u201d Walker said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national unemployment rate in July was 10.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For veterans, it was 10.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many veterans are in need of vocational assistance, said Kevin Rasch, a regional director for the Wounded Warrior Project\u2019s \u201cWarriors to Work\u201d program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe uniforms, hierarchy, protocols and language of military life are very different from the civilian world,\u201d he said. \u201cThis makes the transition to civilian life challenging, and means that finding the right fit with a civilian employer can be difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization\u2019s recent survey showed the top barriers to employment for wounded service members are mental health issues, difficulty being around others, physical limitations and lack of qualifications or education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese challenges, especially now during the pandemic, are often exacerbated for wounded veterans with visible and\/or invisible injuries,\u201d Rasch said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1279\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1227707914.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"The D.C. Department of Employment Services, which handles unemployment claims for D.C. residents, is seen in Washington on July 16, 2020.\" class=\"wp-image-99173\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1227707914.jpg.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1227707914.jpg.jpg?resize=300,192 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1227707914.jpg.jpg?resize=768,491 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1227707914.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,655 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1227707914.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,982 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The D.C. Department of Employment Services, which handles unemployment claims for D.C. residents, is seen in Washington on July 16, 2020. (Saul Loeb\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The nonprofit has partnered with Deloitte Consulting to offer employment \u201cboot camps\u201d for veterans nationwide. Since the pandemic, those events are now being held virtually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rosemary Williams, a specialist executive with Deloitte Consulting, said unemployment and underemployment is even more rampant among spouses of active-duty military personnel, about 52% of whom are married.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMilitary spouse unemployment is still hovering around 26%, which is what it has been for about 10 years,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt\u2019s time for something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Williams co-authored a report published by the Deloitte Center for Government Insights that illustrates the role geography plays in the employment of military spouses, 90% of whom are women.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2020\/07\/25\/to-solve-military-spouse-unemployment-it-needs-to-be-tracked-report-says\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lauren-Hope.MilSpouse.jewelry.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">To solve military spouse unemployment, it needs to be tracked, report says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">&quot;Data don&#039;t lie,&quot; says co-author who says military spouse unemployment should be tracked like veterans unemployment is today.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Augusta metro area, for example, had a net average of 3,555 jobs available each month during 2019. That is higher than the metro areas surrounding Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Benning, Ga. \u2014 all of which showed negative job availability in 2019, according to the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though metro Augusta was on the plus side, it is eclipsed by larger and hotter job markets surrounding installations such as Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, a joint Army-Air Force base in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area, where an average of 83,610 jobs were available each month last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other examples of robust military job markets are Fort Campbell, Kentucky, about an hour northwest of the Nashville metro area, which had 28,518 jobs available nearby. Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia, which is surrounded by the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area, had 22,247 jobs available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The D.C. metro area offers the most job opportunities for military spouses, the report said. About 38,287 jobs were available around Fort Meade, Maryland, and 135,511 were available near the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Williams said part of the problem with military spouse unemployment is the paucity of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the primary source of national employment figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unemployment surveys of military spouses are rarely conducted. A scientific survey in 2010 by the Department of Defense put active-duty spouse unemployment at 26%. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation\u2019s 2017 \u201cHiring Our Heroes\u201d report put the number at 16%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deloitte\u2019s surveys show 24% of military spouses are currently unemployed, and as many as 51% are working jobs beneath their skill level; about 45% of military spouses have a bachelor\u2019s degree or higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government should track unemployment rates for military spouses on a monthly basis to shine a light on the issue, said Williams, who advocates for the creation of employer tax credits and other programs to increase employment among military spouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you want targeted solutions,\u201d she said. \u201cYou need good, clean data.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simon Medcalfe, a finance professor at Augusta University, agrees. Medcalfe, who tracks the Augusta-Aiken labor market as part of the local economic index he maintains, said federal unemployment data does not count the metro area\u2019s 13,321 active-duty military personnel, despite the fact that they account for roughly one in every 20 Augusta-area workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTheir influence \u2014 their ability to impact the local economy \u2014 is much larger than it appears,\u201d Medcalfe said. \u201cA lot of them live off base and support housing and the retail sector and education by sending their kids to school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Augusta-Aiken metro area appears to have \u201cdecent\u201d job opportunities for military spouses when compared to other military towns, Medcalfe said, citing the Deloitte study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employment opportunities for active-duty spouses could be improved by an increase in remote work \u2014 something the pandemic has made more common \u2014 and better occupational license reciprocity between states, which would smooth the transition for professionals with out-of-state certifications and licenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you\u2019re moving from Maryland to Georgia, how easy is it for you to get a job in the school system here?\u201d Medcalfe said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walker, who is not married, said he would prefer to find a job in the local IT industry so he doesn\u2019t have to move from his hometown. He hopes to get into the cybersecurity sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIT is definitely interesting to me, especially information security \u2014 protecting companies and customer data,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walker recently scored an in-person interview for an entry-level position with a local company. He said he feels good about the meeting but realizes the pandemic can quickly flip a company\u2019s hiring switch from \u201con\u201d to \u201coff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m trying to stay positive,\u201d he said. \u201cI know that maybe the economy looks bleak, but sometimes things can turn in your favor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The unemployment rate for veterans was 2.9% when 2019 came to a close. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic upends the U.S. economy, that figure has more than tripled, leaving nearly 800,000 veterans searching for work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":99170,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[61,101,7,23,89,12,26,62,18,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[6584],"class_list":["post-62852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coronavirus","category-daily-news-roundup","category-education-transition","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-spouse","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"3DGZ7V6GQRG5LPZGEWOXD5CZQE","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2020\/08\/30\/covid-19-exacerbates-job-woes-for-veterans-military-spouses\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>COVID-19 exacerbates job woes for veterans, military spouses - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The unemployment rate for veterans was 2.9% when 2019 came to a close. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic upends the U.S. economy, that figure has more than tripled, leaving nearly 800,000 veterans searching for work.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"COVID-19 exacerbates job woes for veterans, military spouses\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The unemployment rate for veterans was 2.9% when 2019 came to a close. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic upends the U.S. economy, that figure has more than tripled, leaving nearly 800,000 veterans searching for work.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/08\/30\/covid-19-exacerbates-job-woes-for-veterans-military-spouses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-08-30T19:44:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T11:51:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Damon Cline, The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle via the AP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Damon Cline, The Augusta (Ga.) 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