To Help Women Advance, Their Trailing Spouses Get Job-Hunting Aid

More female executives are moving ahead in their careers through relocation, and their employers are increasingly helping their trailing husbands find work, reports the Wall Street Journal . Atlas Van Lines polls found on average, women made up a record 23 percent of moves by North American employers in 2016, up from 17 percent in 2009. Approximately 62 percent of employers provided job-hunting assistance for spouses or partners of transferred staffers in 2017, versus 33 percent in 2007. "Companies consider such help a critical aspect of getting more women into leadership," says Impact Group CEO Lauren Herring. American Express has aided mates of relocated staffers in looking for work since 2012. A company spokesperson notes with women now making up nearly 50 percent of its transferees, many men accompanying them use these career services. AmEx's global program currently includes career coaches, job leads, resume writing, office space, and advice about negotiating job offers or starting a business. AmEx says most participating spouses and domestic partners land positions. However, relocating abroad can be problematic for trailing husbands, and the most common reason for a rejected foreign assignment is a partner's unwillingness to move because of their career. Some people are concerned relocating for their spouses will derail their career trajectories.