The Migration of Military Spouses using the 2007-2011 5-Year American Community Survey

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Working Paper Number: 2013-25

Abstract

Military employment requires frequent rotation between duty stations. Active duty Armed Forces personnel move at much higher rates compared to civilians. While a move for civilians is based on the preferences and needs of the family, for military personnel, the needs of their employer determine the move. This research examines the differences between married military migrants and married civilian migrants. A descriptive analysis uses data from the America Community Survey to compare the socio-economic differences as well as the geographic differences of the husbands and wives within these moving couples. The results suggest that within military couples, wives tend to be unemployed and more educated than husbands whereas in civilian couples, employment and education gaps are much smaller. Military spouses move to locations near military installments whereas civilian spouses tend to move to Metropolitan areas with large populations.

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