The Job Creators Network has launched a petition to put pressure on state governments and the U.S. Department of Labor to work with Congress to pass legislation to eliminate the state occupational requirements that force U.S. military spouses to acquire costly licenses to work legally in their chosen professions.
“State occupational licensing rules require those in hundreds of professions — from teachers to paralegals to health care employees — to take courses, pass tests, and pay steep fees to acquire state work certifications. This is a major barrier to employment for military spouses who often only expect to be in a state for a couple of years,” Job Creators Network’s Freedom to Work website says.
The organization sites Department of Defense data that says “the unemployment rate for spouses of military members on active duty in 2017 was 24 percent.”
“According to Syracuse University research, more than one-third of military spouses work in fields subject to occupational licensing, disproportionately more than the general population. And according to the Chamber survey, nearly one-quarter of military spouses cite occupational licensing as their biggest barrier to employment,” the website notes.
Job Creators Network, one of the country’s largest pro-jobs grassroots organizations, says it’s leading a “multi-state effort by convening a meeting of governors and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta to advance this issue, in pushing for legislation in every state to fix this problem.”
The group has also released videos that highlight stories of military families struggling to stay employed.
Visit freedomtowork.com for more information.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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