🇺🇸 Biden issues executive order targeting military spouse employment (BIDEN NEWS!) 🇺🇸 [View all]

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden took steps Friday to eliminate employment barriers for military-connected spouses, signing an executive order that will impact 16,000 spouses working for the federal government and others including caregivers.

The nearly 20 actions in the order will attempt to put a dent in a 21% unemployment rate among military spouses that has not budged in a decade and address challenges faced by veteran spouses, caregivers and surviving spouses of service members, most of whom are women.

The order includes pushing federal agencies to grant up to five days of administrative leave for military spouses during permanent changes of station, bolstering child care options and directing the government to provide more resources and support for career stability.

Jill Biden, the first lady, said the actions were based on conversations with military spouses and children across the country in the last two years. The order is the latest joint initiative of the National Security Council and Joining Forces, a program founded by Jill Biden and then-first lady Michelle Obama in 2011 to help military families.