Divorce and the Business Cycle: A Cross-Country Analysis

González‐Val, Rafael; Marcén, Miriam

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2696077

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The situation in Europe is potentially different from the US because of better welfare protection, which can both attenuate the financial loss after unemployment and the cost of divorce. However, a recent study by González-Val and Marcén (2017) on 29 European countries also showed a small but significant negative relationship between divorce and national unemployment rates, which is robust to different specifications. Against this background, we expect to observe a lower divorce risk during economic downturns (Hypothesis 4b).…”

Section: Macro-effects Of Unemployment On Union Dissolutionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Unemployment and separation: Evidence from five European countries

Solaz¹,

Jalovaara²,

Kreyenfeld³

et al. 2020

JFamRes

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Since the 1970s, several European countries have experienced high union dissolution risk as well as high unemployment rates. The extent to which adverse economic conditions are associated with union instability is still unknown. This study explores the relationship between both individual and aggregate unemployment and union dissolution risk in five European countries before the recent economic crisis. Using rich longitudinal data from Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, and Italy, the empirical analysis, based on discrete-time event history models, shows that male unemployment consistently increases the risk of union dissolution. While a strong association is observed between male unemployment and separation at the micro level, no association is found between male unemployment and union dissolution at the macro level. The results for female unemployment are mixed, and the size of the impact of female unemployment is smaller in magnitude than that of male unemployment. In Germany and Italy, where until very recently work is less compatible with family life than in other countries, female unemployment is not significantly associated with union dissolution.

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Section: Macro-effects Of Unemployment On Union Dissolutionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Unemployment and separation: Evidence from five European countries

Solaz¹,

Jalovaara²,

Kreyenfeld³

et al. 2020

JFamRes

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show abstract

“…This is because, for partners to sustain their relationship, there has to be a minimal level of financial satisfaction (Zhang, Cheng, Wei, & Gong, 2018). Over a period of time, the socioeconomic dynamics of marriage and divorce have been associated with other factors that include demographics, and business cycles, among other factors (González-Val & Marcén, 2017;Kravdal, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) is employed in the study. Although previous studies have extensively investigated the determinants of divorce especially within the framework of marriage and unemployment (González-Val & Marcén, 2017, the current study is novel for notable reasons. First, this study provides an in-depth analysis, through a concise panel estimate that further reveals how divorce rate is determined among the OECD countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of income and gender unemployment in divorce rate among the OECD countries

Alola

Arikewuyo

Akadırı³

et al. 2020

Journal of Labor and Society

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Economic stability is one of the most important factors to consider when examining marriage sustainability or divorce. Consequently, the current study examined the influence of income and gender unemployment on divorce in a panel study of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries over the period 1995–2016. Empirical results show that gross domestic product per capita as a measure of income level has a negative and significant impact on the divorce rate only in the long run. In addition, findings indicated that an increase in the female unemployment level would lead to a decrease in the divorce rate, while increase in male unemployment will lead to an increase in the divorce rate in the long run. Based on the results, we infer that for individuals to sustain their romantic relationships, income sustainability is highly essential. The implication of our findings is that economic stability measured by the income level of an individual is highly essential in achieving marital stability in a romantic relationship. Hence, the study offers useful policy directions for households, governments, and other stakeholders, especially in the OECD countries.

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“… 2 An adjacent body of literature studies the relationship between context-level unemployment, or macroeconomic conditions, and divorce, instead of couple-level unemployment experiences. Some of these studies find evidence that higher unemployment rates and economic recessions are associated with lower divorce rates (Amato and Beattie 2011; Cherlin et al 2013; Chowdhury 2013; González-Val and Marcén 2017; Hellerstein and Morrill 2011; Kalmijn 2007; Schaller 2013) and lower likelihood of divorce (Hellerstein, Morrill, and Zou 2013). These studies support the “costs of divorce” approach, which poses that economic insecurity and uncertainty reduce the likelihood of separation because it makes couples depend more on each other.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Marriage and Masculinity: Male-Breadwinner Culture, Unemployment, and Separation Risk in 29 Countries

Goñalons-Pons

Gangl

2021

Am Sociol Rev

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Scholars argue that gender culture, understood as a set of beliefs, norms, and social expectations defining masculinities and femininities, plays an important role in shaping when romantic relationships end. However, the relevance of gender culture is often underappreciated, in part because its empirical identification remains elusive. This study leverages cross-country variation in gender norms to test the hypothesis that gender culture conditions which heterosexual romantic relationships end and when. We analyze the extent to which male-breadwinning norms determine the association between men’s unemployment and couple separation. Using harmonized household panel data for married and cohabiting heterosexual couples in 29 countries from 2004 to 2014, our results provide robust evidence that male-breadwinner norms are a key driver of the association between men’s unemployment and the risk of separation. The magnitude of this mechanism is sizeable; an increase of one standard deviation in male-breadwinner norms increases the odds of separation associated with men’s unemployment by 32 percent. Analyses also show that the importance of male-breadwinner norms is strongest among couples for whom the male-breadwinner identity is most salient, namely married couples. By directly measuring and leveraging variation in the key explanatory of interest, gender culture, our study offers novel and robust evidence reinforcing the importance of gender norms to understand when romantic relationships end.

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Divorce and the Business Cycle: A Cross-Country Analysis

Cited by 8 publications

References 44 publications

Unemployment and separation: Evidence from five European countries

Unemployment and separation: Evidence from five European countries

The role of income and gender unemployment in divorce rate among the OECD countries

Marriage and Masculinity: Male-Breadwinner Culture, Unemployment, and Separation Risk in 29 Countries

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