Publication year
2013
Citation Title
The impact of prior deployment experience on civilian employment after military service
Journal Name
Occupational & Environmental Medicine
Journal Volume
70
Issue Number
6
Page Numbers
408-417
DOI
10.1136/oemed-2012-101073
Summary
The study examined whether deployment experiences, health, demographic, and militaryrelated characteristics were associated with civilian employment after military service. Of the 9,099 former U.S. Active Duty Service members in the study, 17% were unemployed after military service. Mental health symptoms, race, gender, education, and physical health were found to be associated with unemployment after separation from the military.
Key Findings
Depressive and anxiety disorders, being Black or female, less education, and poor physical health were associated with unemployment.
Deployment experience (with or without combat) and posttraumatic stress disorder were not associated with employment status following military separation.
Unemployment was least likely for Service members who were married, separated for the military for longer than one year, and who completed at least a bachelor’s degree.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop support groups around coping with unemployment for Service members and families who are at-risk of prolonged unemployment
Encourage Service members to participate in job placement programs to increase their chances of employment
Provide training to professionals who work with military families about how to support military families as they prepare to transition to civilian employment
Implications for Policy Makers
Increase awareness (e.g., educational materials) about the possible employment challenges Service members and their families encounter after military service
Support the creation of programs that teach Service members and their families about financial literacy and preparing for possible prolonged unemployment
Urge routine screening of mental and physical health symptoms that increase the chance for difficulties obtaining employment after military service
Methods
Data were collected from the Millennium Cohort Study. Service members completed a baseline survey while they were in Active Duty status and at least one follow up survey.
Participants were included in the study if they separated from the military between the baseline and follow-up surveys.
Variables that were measured included: civilian employment, deployment and combat experience, and demographic, health, and military-related characteristics.
Participants
Participants were 9,099 former U.S. Active Duty Service members from all service branches.
The sample was 75% male, and 67% White, 13% Black, and 20% identified as another ethnicity.
The average age of Service members when they separated from the military was 37.3 years (SD = 9.1).
Limitations
Specific details about employment and unemployment were not captured (e.g., if they were physically unable to work or recently lost a job) that would have impacted interpretation of the results.
Survey non-response due to attrition may have been a problem, as Service members who separated from the military for reasons other than retirement had a higher probability of non-response for the follow-up survey.
Physical and mental health outcomes were self-reported, which may have led to unreliable and inconsistent results.
Avenues for Future Research
Develop studies that explore the reasons for increased unemployment rates among female and Black Service members
Compare employment rates of Service members who participate in a job placement program after military service with Service members who do not
Explore the relationship between mental health symptoms and physical injuries with long-term employment or unemployment among Service members
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: To determine if deployment to recent military operations or other health, demographic, or military-related characteristics were associated with employment after military service. Methods: Former US active duty military service members participating in the Millennium Cohort Study, a population-based sample of US military personnel that began in July of 2001, were prospectively followed from the time of baseline health reporting to self-reported employment status after military separation. Results: Of the 9099 separated personnel meeting inclusion criteria, 17% reported unemployment after military service. In multivariable modelling, prior deployment experiences, with or without reported combat, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were not significantly associated with employment status postservice. Among those who routinely retired from service with a pension, positive screens for depression (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.63) and panic/anxiety (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.43) were significantly associated with subsequent unemployment. Poor physical health, female sex, black race, lower education and disabling illnesses/injuries were also predictive of postservice unemployment. Conclusions: After stratifying for reason for military separation, mental disorders like depression or panic/anxiety and poor physical health may have greater impact than prior deployment experiences or PTSD on the ability to find or maintain employment postservice. These findings may guide support for veterans most in need of job placement services after military service.
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