I don’t think it’s you being paranoid, however at the same time your husband is perhaps more on the front line of things, so should have a better idea.

I would say that as a journeyman lineman he’ll be pretty decently qualified and probably wouldn’t have as hard a time finding work abroad. It might be a tough sell with lower salaries on paper, but you often find that the standard of living improves and makes it more than worthwhile.