Coping Strategies of Migrant Ex-partners. Does Work, Family, or a New Partner Help You Through the Dark Times?

Abstract

This study focuses on financial consequences of a separation for migrant ex-partners. International literature on economic consequences has well documented the gender effects in the consequences of splitting up or the differences between former married and cohabiting couples. Building on these insights, this chapter focuses on the heterogeneity in couples in migration status and origin group. Using data from the Belgian Crossroads Bank of Social Security, we look at financial consequences after a break-up for European and non-European ex-partners with a migrant background. Using latent growth modelling for income trajectories of men and women after divorce, we show that migrant background plays a role to a certain extent. Gender effects were large and significant in all subgroups but contrary to our expectations, economically weaker groups show a more modest financial drawback compared to stronger groups. Coping strategies showed patterns that were expected except for returning to the parental home which had a negative influence on the income trajectory. The (weak) economic position of the parents in some migrant group explains this effect.

Divorce and female labour force participation: Do women who expect an upcoming divorce increase their employment? Evidence from Flanders

“…On average, women are financially worse off when a union comes to an end, whether in the traditional divorce research (Hoffman and Duncan, 1988;Peterson, 1996) or the more recent extension into relationship dissolution in general (Andreß et al, 2006;Brewer and Nandi, 2014). While there is considerable difference in the size of the financial downturn, that it is there continues to be found even in the most recent research (Mortelmans et al, 2020). Additionally, Thielemans and Mortelmans (2019) found that the probability that Flemish women increase their employment is up to seven times higher surrounding the time of a couple's factual separation.…”

“…Finally, concerning employment, evidence has been found that women increase their employment after divorce (Brewer and Nandi, 2014;Raz-Yurovich, 2013). Other research found that those who did were financially significantly better off than those who did not (Bro ¨ckel and Andreß, 2015;De Regt et al, 2013;De Vaus et al, 2017;Fokkema, 2000;Jansen et al, 2009;Mortelmans et al, 2020).…”

Parents Returning to Parents: Does Migration Background Have an Influence on the “Boomerang Effect” Among Parents After Divorce?

“…We look at how the boomerang effect plays out differently in the lives of fathers and mothers of Belgian, Turkish, and Moroccan origin, and take the migration background of the ex-partner into account. Second, we investigate whether economic and family differentials within these origin groups influence the likelihood of returning to the parental home (Mortelmans et al 2019).…”