The Invisible Goldmine: Why the Skills of Expat Partners Are a Missed Opportunity for Host Countries and Companies

 My Expatriation Started with Anger

Let me be honest: I didn’t write this article calmly. I wrote it because I was angry.
Ten years ago, I arrived in France with a solid international résumé, a degree in international business, and the ability to speak four languages — including Mandarin. I thought, “This is the start of something exciting.”

But no. It was the beginning of something invisible.

I applied for dozens of jobs. No responses. I tried networking. Doors stayed closed. I had become what the system didn’t know how to value: an expat partner.

And I soon realized I wasn’t alone.

The Reality Behind the Statistics: Highly Skilled, Deeply Underutilized

Here’s the hard truth: 73% of expat partners had full-time careers before moving abroad.
They are often women, aged 30–45, multilingual, and highly educated — many hold Master’s or Doctoral degrees.

And yet, during the expatriation?

• Only 20% manage to re-enter the job market

  • Of those, 47% earn less than before.

  • 32% experience a reduction in job scope.

And 28% are forced into lower hierarchical positions.

Expat integration: it’s more than just culture

Real Stories: From Unseen to Unstoppable

Let me share one story. Mirella is an engineer from Brazil.
When she arrived in France, she felt isolated. Her qualifications weren’t recognized, her French wasn’t fluent, and she didn’t know where to begin. Like many expat partners, she began to doubt her value.

But she didn’t give up. She learned the language, rebuilt her confidence, expanded her network. Today, she works in a French international company — in her field, as an engineer.

She didn’t just “find a job.”
She reclaimed her professional identity.

There are thousands like her. Expat partners who—when given the right tools—bounce back stronger than ever.

What We Don’t See: The Real Skills of Expat Partners

During expatriation, partners don’t sit still. They become:

• Logistics managers, handling international moves, local housing, admin systems, and schools.

• Cross-cultural experts, decoding new norms, customs, and daily survival.

• Network builders, often the first in the family to create connections in the host country.

• Crisis managers, managing family well-being, adapting to new medical systems, and reinventing themselves in unfamiliar environments.

They develop what we call “soft skills”. But let’s stop calling them soft.
They are strategic skills: resilience, flexibility, leadership under uncertainty, cultural intelligence.

In a world where companies chase agility, DEI, and innovation — these are not just “nice-to-haves”.

The skills of expat partners are exactly what we need.

Why Companies Should Care

Still wondering why this matters for business?

➡️ Because 91% of candidates consider their partner’s career opportunities before accepting an international assignment

➡️ Because when a partner struggles, the whole assignment suffers. Some are cut short. Others never happen.

➡️ Because talent today comes in duos, not silos.

If you want to recruit and retain globally mobile leaders, you need to think beyond the contract. You need to think about the couple.

And no, this is not about charity. It’s about strategy!

Why Host Countries Should Act Now

Governments and regions seeking to attract international talent often overlook the key to integration: the partner.

Want to unlock long-term engagement, tax contributions, and social inclusion?

Then:

• Recognize more foreign diplomas.

• Facilitate spouse work permits.

• Invest in language training and career support.

• Promote networking platforms that welcome expat spouses.

Because a happy, professionally fulfilled partner means a family that stays longer, integrates faster, and contributes more.

Let’s Be Honest: The Real Price of Inaction

When companies ignore the professional needs of expat partners, here’s what happens:

• Assignments are refused (1 in 3, due to spouse concerns).

• Careers are broken — sometimes permanently.

• Skilled women (mostly) are pushed out of the workforce.

• Countries lose talent they’ve already invested in attracting.

And most painfully?
Talented, driven individuals — often at the peak of their careers — begin to believe they’re not valuable anymore.

That’s the real loss.
Not economic. Human.

 It’s Time to See the Whole Picture

I wrote this because I was one of them. Because I’ve met hundreds of brilliant, international women (and some men) who were made to feel invisible. Because I’ve seen what happens when you believe in them — and give them the tools to rise.

Let’s stop wasting global talent. Let’s stop thinking of expat partners as “dependents”. They are co-pilots of global mobility.

They are not the trailing ones.
They are the driving force behind successful expatriation.

Call to Action:

If you’re an HR professional:
Ask yourself — what’s your company doing to support expat partners? Could you do more?

If you’re an expat partner reading this:
Know that your value has not disappeared. It’s waiting to be seen. And the world needs what you bring.

Let’s not keep this silent.
Share this article. Start the conversation. Break the invisibility.

I’m Armelle Perben, Founder of Absolutely French, I share tips and ideas on supporting dual careers during expatriation and rethinking expat services — follow me on LinkedIn to stay connected!

📌 Want to learn more? At Absolutely French, we support expat partners in Paris with language, community, and career tools. And with Absolutely Ahead, our global online academy, we prepare accompanying partners before, during, or after relocation—wherever they are. Because behind every successful assignment is a partner who found their place.