Military spouses would enjoy improved employment opportunities under legislation introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman John Carter (R-TX31).

Carter introduced the Military Spouses Employment Act of 2010 to provide employers a new tax incentive to hire qualified military spouses. The bill is co-sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of 12 Republicans and 5 Democrats.

"This legislation will help alleviate some of the long-standing obstacles to quality jobs for military spouses," said Carter, who represents the Fort Hood, Texas area. "Far too often employers overlook military spouses in the hiring process due to concerns over family transfers. The hiring incentives in this bill should help level the playing field to allow our military spouses an equal shot at getting a civilian job."

Employment statistics show that military spouses traditionally earn less than civilians despite higher graduation rates and living in areas with better paying jobs.

In addition to improving combined income for military families, the Carter bill is also expected to improve service member retention, as research has found that the influence of military spouses on re-enlistment decisions has increased with the proportion of military spouses working outside the home.

The Military Spouses Employment Act would expand the Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include military spouses, providing employers a tax incentive to hire qualified military spouses. Qualified spouses include all active duty military spouses, as well as spouses of National Guard and Reserve members who are activated for 90 days or more. The change would allow employers to claim an income tax credit of 40 percent for the first $6,000 in wages for qualified spouses who remain on the payroll at least 400 hours. For spouses who remain employed from 120 hours to 399 hours, employers are eligible for a tax credit of 25 percent.

The Carter bill is supported by the Military Coalition, which includes 35 organizations representing 5.5 million members.