The Recession and Marriage

Hanna Rosin points to new research that finds that divorce rates have dropped to their lowest levels since the Great Depression. While some claim that the shift is a result of a return to traditional values spurred on by the economic downturn, Rosin believes that people are not divorcing, because they can't afford it. She says that working class women are suffering right now, but when the economy picks up, more men are going to be kicked to the road.

Comments

[Madeleine]

I believe it. If you can't sell the house, you can't make other plans. Though I'd also expect to see some shakeup among non-homeowners as financial stress strains marriages. Maybe that has a longer ramp-up. Or maybe it's easier to have patience with a non-working spouse when you know it isn't their fault, it's the economy, stupid.

(Typo: I think you meant that Rosin believes that people are *not* divorcing.)

[Wendy]

Maybe it's because living together is becoming more acceptable, so we can all try each other out before committing longterm?

[stranger]

Maybe a down economy means that couples are spending more time together. If you're keeping an eye on the family budget, some of the first things to go are those which might lead a spouse to meet interesting people: gym memberships, "girls' nights out," etc. It's much harder to hide (I assume) the expenses of a relationship on the side, if you're accounting for every drop of gas, for example. And, working 2 jobs doesn't leave any time to fool around.

In a down economy, a spouse is an asset. He/she is one more adult in the family who could bring in an income. If no one's sure of their employment, it makes no sense to voluntarily forgo a tie to a wage earner. (This argument applies to husbands and wives.)

[MH]

It's much harder to hide (I assume) the expenses of a relationship on the side, if you're accounting for every drop of gas, for example.

We should all be thankful for Tiger taking-up the slack now that nobody else can afford a mistress.

[jen]

IMHO one benefit of this recession has been to make peoples' expectations more realistic. It seems like 5 years ago many people felt their life needed to look like a TV drama. (All the granite countertops, for example; the incredibly expensive handbags; the insistence on private college and years in Europe for all kids.) These days having grounded-in-reality expectations is getting more play. There seems to be more of an "I appreciate what I have" vibe, versus, "I could do better."

All the pressure on relationships in the past two years has had a crucible effect. No one's on the fence about their marriage any more; they've either basically split up (whether they could do anything about it or not), or they're closer than ever.

[Marya]

Hahahahaha, MH.

I was thinking if my husband can't afford a big fancy alimony check, where's the incentive?

[flubber]

Links show divorce rate, per 1000 married women:
2005 : 16.4
2007 : 17.5
2008 : 16.9

Researchers and media both have incentives to create buzz.

"working class women are suffering right now, but when the economy picks up, more men are going to be kicked to the road."

Economic downturn is said to have impacted working class men disproportionally - why does this necessarily mean their working class spouses will wait to divorce them? I can see how striking out on your own takes money, but I can also see how, if your husband isn't bringing in any cash, the opportunity cost to leaving suddenly goes near zero. Why wouldn't you dump a dead weight?

[stranger]

If he's minding the children while you work, he isn't deadweight.

It takes time to finalize a divorce. Estimates from a quick search range from 1 year to 2+. Divorce lawyers could be noticing a drop in business, but it wouldn't necessarily influence the rate of completed divorces yet. For one thing, a drop in new cases could lead to lawyers' putting more effort into longer-running, more difficult cases.