Military Spouse Unemployment at 24%: Cedars-Sinai Recruits Spouses So a Relocation Does Not End a Career
Cedars-Sinai, the Los Angeles, California health system, has described how it supports military spouses through targeted recruitment and flexible work arrangements, helping spouses whose families relocate frequently to keep their careers.
According to a 2024 U.S. Department of Defense survey, the military spouse unemployment rate was 24% — six times the national average — and underemployment, whether earning too little, not using one's abilities or working outside one's field, is another commonly cited challenge. Cedars-Sinai describes itself as a military-supportive employer, counting more than 350 veterans, active-duty service members, reservists and military spouses across its hospital, Marina Hospital and Medical Network teams.
The health system actively recruits military spouses through the federal Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program, which helps spouses of active-duty service members find private-sector jobs. "Military spouses are an underserved community in the shadow of another underserved community," said Bill McGovern, military program administrator on the Talent Acquisition Team and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. "They are among the most highly educated and skilled, yet they often struggle professionally because of frequent moves. We are invested in this group because we want to help combat the employment challenges military spouses face."
Ahmanielle Roussell, an organizational communications supervisor, is herself a military spouse. In 2018 she resigned from a job she loved at Cedars-Sinai when her husband was reassigned to Jacksonville, Florida; in 2020, as remote work expanded, her former supervisor invited her back, and she is now helping refine a policy to retain military-connected employees. At a recent recruitment event at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, she met other military spouses who described feeling overwhelmed by their career prospects.
Operations analyst Kasa Hester was able to keep her job when the U.S. Air Force relocated her husband and family to San Antonio, Texas. Both women emphasized the resilience and adaptability of military spouses, and Cedars-Sinai also runs VetConnect, an employee resource group for military-connected colleagues.
(Source: Cedars-Sinai)
Source: Cedars-Sinai
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于加州圣迭戈县的海军陆战队彭德尔顿基地正门，Cedars-Sinai 近期曾在此举行军人配偶招聘活动。公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The front gate of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, California, where Cedars-Sinai recently held a recruitment event for military spouses. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
