Military Spouse Employment: Jobs, Flexible Work and Career Support
Military spouse employment: building a career around Service life
Every posting comes with a list of things to sort out: schools, GP, housing, removals. Your job is often on that list, and it is usually the thing that gets dropped.
Military spouses and partners move more often than almost anyone else in the UK workforce. Each move can mean leaving a role, starting again somewhere new, and explaining a CV that doesn't follow a straight line. Many end up in jobs below their skills and experience, or out of work altogether.
This page brings together practical support for spouses and partners of serving personnel: finding work after a move, explaining gaps, flexible and remote roles, and employers who understand what Forces family life involves.
The problem isn't you
Most spouses and partners do work. The latest Tri-Service Families Continuous Attitude Survey found 81% in employment, with full-time work rising from 41% in 2015 to 55% in 2025.
But being in work isn't the same as having a career. The Army Families Federation's 2024 survey of 678 spouses and partners found:
- Underemployment is significant, with many in jobs that don't match their skills or experience
- Most were unable to transfer their job when they were posted
- Unemployment among spouses living overseas was 61%, compared with 20% of those in the UK
- Childcare shortages remain one of the biggest barriers to getting back into work
The long-term cost shows up after service ends. In the ONS Veterans' Survey 2022, spouses and partners asked for recognition of lost pension and National Insurance contributions, and lost career progression, from years of following postings. As one respondent put it:
"Years of following my husband around the world has left me lacking confidence, without career progression and no pension. We are a forgotten part of the service life."
Source: Office for National Statistics, Veterans' Survey 2022
The challenges are structural:
- Postings. Moving every two to three years makes it hard to build seniority, stay with one employer or finish a qualification.
- Employment gaps. Time out between moves, or overseas, leaves gaps employers may question.
- No local network. Arriving somewhere new means no contacts, no references nearby and no idea who is hiring.
- Childcare. With a serving partner away, you're often the only parent available, which narrows the roles you can take.
- Pensions and pay. Frequent job changes can affect workplace pension contributions and entitlement to maternity pay.
Finding work after a posting
Start looking before you move. Search the new area as soon as the posting is confirmed, and ask your current employer whether remote working or a transfer is possible.
Our guide to Employment support for Military Spouses (coming soon) will cover the organisations, funded training and schemes available to spouses and partners, including help with CVs, interviews and retraining. But in the meantime, see our CV and interview resources.
Recruit for Spouses (RFS)
RFS is a social enterprise set up and run by military spouses, partners and veterans. It has supported more than 9,000 spouses over 14 years and created 600,000 hours of flexible work.
It offers:
- Vacancies with employers who want to hire from the military community
- Coaching and mentoring to help you work out your next move
- Upskilling through its Career Academy
- Wellbeing support for spouses and partners
- Help for Foreign and Commonwealth spouses, who can face extra barriers to work in the UK
Free services are delivered through its charity, the RFS Foundation. You can register your CV online to be matched with roles.
Flexible and remote working
Remote and hybrid roles mean you don't have to restart every time you move. Flexible hours can also make work fit around deployments and childcare. Under UK law, employees can request flexible working from their first day in a job.
Forces-friendly employers
Some employers actively recruit military spouses and partners. Many have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, and some hold Employer Recognition Scheme awards for their support of the Forces community.
These employers are more likely to understand a CV shaped by postings, and to offer flexibility when your partner deploys. Find them in Forces-friendly employers hiring spouses.
Kier: flexible roles for military spouses
Construction and infrastructure firm Kier recruits from the Armed Forces community, including spouses and partners of serving personnel. Its roles can include part-time hours, job shares, compressed hours and working from home, so you can fit work around postings, deployments and family life.
Kier's Armed Forces Inclusion Network supports employees with any connection to the Forces, including spouses and family members. You can mention your Forces connection when you apply.
See Kier's Armed Forces careers page
FAQs
Can I keep my job when my partner is posted?
Sometimes. Ask your employer about remote working, a transfer to another site or a change to your hours before you resign. Larger national employers and public sector bodies are often the most flexible.
Is there funded training for military spouses?
Yes. Several Service charities and family federations offer funded courses, careers advice and grants to help spouses and partners retrain or gain qualifications. Yes. Recruit for Spouses offers free coaching, mentoring and upskilling through the RFS Foundation, and several Service charities and family federations run funded courses and grants. See our employment support guide for current schemes.
What if I'm posted overseas?
Finding work overseas is harder, and your right to work depends on the country and local agreements. Remote roles with UK employers are often the most practical option. Check with your family federation before you go.
Do I have to tell employers I'm a military spouse?
No. But if they're Forces-friendly, it can work in your favour by explaining gaps and frequent moves.
