Military Spouses Now Have Federal Jobs Preference

Executive Order 13473, which went into effect September 11, 2009, opens the door to more federal jobs for qualified military spouses. Federal agencies are now able to hire certain military spouses without having them compete for jobs.

The guidelines apply to the spouses of military service members relocating for new assignments, some physically disabled spouses, and those whose husband or wife was killed in the line of duty. They can apply for a federal job and request that recruiters allow them to bypass the traditional hiring process.

The guidelines appear in the Federal Register: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-08-12/html/E9-19340.htm.