Last month the non-profit group, Blue Star Families, released the results of a study that show unemployment, and underemployment, of military spouses is costing the U.S. economy nearly $1 billion each year.

According to Military Times, the study, commissioned by the nonprofit Blue Star Families, calculated the cost of lost federal income tax, of unemployment benefits, and of costs for health care issues that may related to unemployment and underemployment. By far the largest effect on the economy is the total lost income tax that spouses would have paid, ranging from $578 million to $763 million.

Now, Blue Star Families is calling for more efforts to place spouses in jobs that match their skill set, training and education level. Currently, the Department of Defense sponsors the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. That effort has connected spouses with more than 300 companies and organizations nationwide.

Blue Star Families says this is a great start, but more needs to be done.

Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families told The Military Times that the report will help draw attention to the issue.

“The No. 1 reason we have this crippling problem is that it’s invisible," she told the Military Times.

“No one knows about it, and no one cares about it when it’s the individual’s problem. When it’s the individual’s problem, it’s not solvable," That changes when it's everyone's problem," she said.

The analysis places the military spouse unemployment rate at 12 percent, compared to 7.7 percent for civilian spouses.

To read the full report from Blue Star Families, please visit: https://bluestarfam.org/engage/