The economic stability — the final social determinant — is connected to affordable, available child care and spouse employment challenges.
The majority of active-duty service member respondents (67%) are satisfied with their jobs and 70% feel the work they do is meaningful. However, nearly seven in 10 active-duty service member respondents who are “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with their job are also “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to look for another job in the next 12 months. Dissatisfied service members are also more stressed than their satisfied counterparts. Active-duty service members of color are also less satisfied with their job (62% vs. 70%) and their employer (57% vs. 68%) than their 15 Executive Summary white peers. Female active-duty service member respondents report slightly lower levels of satisfaction with their job (66% vs. 69%) and employer (62% vs. 65%) than their male counterparts.
Already stressed by spouse un- and underemployment, student loans, and out-of-pocket relocation costs, military families making PCS (permanent change of station) moves face long military housing waitlists, unaffordable civilian housing markets, and expensive rental costs, which can further add to their financial burden. Of those who report outof-pocket housing costs, more than three-quarters (76%) pay $200 or more out-of-pocket each month. Two-thirds (66%) of active-duty family respondents report having unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses related to their last PCS move, and among those with unreimbursed moving costs, more than half (55%) report those expenses to be over $1,000. Of active-duty family respondents who report financial stress, 41% cite spouse unemployment or underemployment as a top contributor to their stress; student loans (30%) is second.
Military spouse employment is again a top-five military life issue for nearly half (47%) of active-duty spouse respondents and a quarter of active-duty service member respondents (25%). Service member’s unpredictable (40%) and lengthy (27%) daily work schedules, expensive child care (34%), and the length of time they have been out of the workforce (25%) remain top barriers to employment for those active-duty spouse respondents who are not working but need or want to work. Relocation also remains a top barrier; a third (33%) of employed active-duty spouse respondents who report that they will be looking for a new job in the next 12 months will be doing so due to a relocation/ permanent change of station (PCS).
Spouse employment relieves financial pressure for military families; 68% of spouse respondents who are not currently working but are seeking employment also report their financial situation causes them “some stress” or a “great deal of stress,” compared to only 44% of their employed counterparts. At the 20-year mark of the War on Terror, post 9/11 Veteran respondents, on average, show strong employment and financial positions. However, a greater proportion of those with a service-connected disability experience transition difficulties and a lack of preparedness for themselves and their families. Two-thirds of employed post-9/11 Veteran respondents (68%) are “somewhat” or “very satisfied” with their current/most recent job. Eight in 10 (80%) of post 9/11 Veteran respondents report a service-connected disability and over half (65%) rate their transition experience as “difficult” or “very difficult.”
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