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For almost a century, anecdotes have suggested that divorce rates decline during recessions. However, until very recently there has been surprisingly little formal empirical evidence on whether such a link exists, let alone its magnitude if it does. Moreover, the anticipated direction of the effect is ambiguous theoretically. Although previous studies have concluded that individual job loss destabilizes marriages, macroeconomic conditions may affect divorce probabilities even for those not directly experiencing a job shock. We add to the few existing contemporaneous studies of the effects of macroeconomic shocks on divorce by conducting an empirical analysis of the relationship between state-level unemployment rates and state-level divorce rates using vital statistics data on divorces in the United States from 1976–2009. We find a significant and robust negative relationship between the unemployment and divorce rates, whereby a one percentage point rise in the unemployment rate is associated with a decrease of 0.043 divorces per one thousand people, or about a one percent fall in the divorce rate. The result that divorce is pro-cyclical is robust to a host of alternative empirical specifications, to disaggregating by state characteristics and time period, to expanding the unemployment series back to 1970, and to using alternative measures of local economic conditions.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders of adulthood. Although clinical guidelines recommend monotherapy with stimulants or atomoxetine, combination pharmacotherapy is a common practice among clinicians. There are four main situations in which combination medications may be necessary: partial response, dose-limiting side effects, associated disorders, and comorbid diagnoses. We present data from two chart reviews that support existing research on combination pharmacotherapy. Adjunct treatment of d-methylphenidate to stimulant medications extended the duration of therapeutic effect. Adjunct treatment of mirtazapine to stimulant medications reduced associated insomnia. These data support previous research that validates the use of combination pharmacotherapy for adults with ADHD.

We report results from a field experiment in which a randomized subset of newly hired workers at a large financial institution received a flyer containing information about the employer's 401(k) plan and the value of contributions compounding over a career. Younger workers who received the flyer were significantly more likely to begin contributing to the plan relative to their peers in the control group. Many workers do not participate in their employers' supplemental retirement savings programs, even though these programs offer substantial tax advantages and immediate returns due to matching contributions. From a survey of new hires we find that many workers choose not to contribute to the plan because they have other financial priorities. However, some non-participants lack the financial literacy to appreciate the benefit. These findings indicate that simple informational interventions can nudge workers to participate in retirement saving plans and enhance individual well-being and retirement income security.

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