Despite rising benefits, military recruitment in crisis – shrinking recruit pool and growing private competition

[Roxana, “US Army Is Facing ‘War for Talent,’ Courting Gen Z With Benefits,” Bloomberg Government, June 1, 2022, https://about.bgov.com/news/us-army-is-facing-war-for-talent-courting-gen-z-with-benefits/, accessed June 22, 2023, GDS-LL]

The US Army—facing a potential recruiting crisis not seen since the all-volunteer force was created almost five decades ago—is stepping up its efforts to get Generation Z to sign up.

The “Know Your Army” campaign, set to ramp up Wednesday, will court recruits aged 17 to 25 by highlighting the benefits and quality of life that the service can offer to a shrinking number of eligible candidates.

The US military’s largest service must compete in a tight labor market against private companies that often offer more alluring benefits. For years, the Army has tailored its advertising in a bid to attract the best people, even as criminal records, or educational, physical, or mental shortcomings have narrowed the potential pool of recruits.

“I’m very concerned about it because right now they do not have the capacity potential of meeting the requirements that are demanded of them, so it is a very difficult thing. Nobody has the answer right now,” Sen. Jim Inhofe(R-Okla.), said in an interview. “It’s approaching a crisis level.”

Pentagon statistics that cover the period through the end of March showed the number of active duty military forces had been falling for the prior six months; for the Army specifically, it was down 3.1% compared to a year ago, while Pentagon active duty forces as a whole dropped 1.9%.

The Army’s new campaign, shared exclusively with Bloomberg Government, will tout benefits such as 30 days of paid annual vacation, home-buying through Veterans Affairs loans, pensions after 20 years of service, paid parental leave, and a diverse mix of soldiers from every state in the US and beyond. The Army has already been allowing recruits to pick the station where they will serve, and offering sign-up bonuses of up to $50,000, student loan repayment relief, and shorter enlistment periods.