The US Army has boosted its maximum sign-on bonus by $10,000 as it struggles to find new recruits amid the labor shortage

• The maximum US Army bonus for new recruits has been boosted to $50,000 from $40,000.
• It's a reflection of a competitive labor market, the head of Army Recruiting Command said.

The US Army has boosted its maximum sign-on bonus by $10,000 as it struggles to enlist new recruits amid the labor shortage.

New recruits who enlist in certain specialist roles for six years will be offered as much as $50,000, Army Recruiting Command said Wednesday.

The army has long offered sign-on bonuses but they were previously capped at $40,000. The $10,000 increase is partly a reflection of a competitive labor market amid worker shortages caused by the pandemic, Major General Kevin Vereen, head of Army Recruiting Command, told Associated Press.

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With schools shuttered it was harder for recruiters to meet students in person, and many graduates were deciding to take gap years or wait for more certainly before starting their careers, Vereen told AP.

The bonus increase also reflects a desire among military leaders to address a widening military-civilian divide and improve the image of the army as an attractive career choice compared with the private sector. "We want to promote the value in serving your country, but at the same time, we're not oblivious to the compensation piece," Vareen said.