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Is a Bad Economy Good for Marriage? The Relationship between Macroeconomic Conditions and Marital Stability from 1998-2009

Author

Listed:
  • Kristen Harknett

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Daniel Schneider

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

In the United States, the Great Recession has been marked by severe shocks to labor and housing markets. In this study, we combine longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) with administrative data on local area unemployment rates and state-level mortgage delinquency rates to examine the relationship between labor and housing market distress and marital dissolution among couples with children. Although the recession increased economic hardship in our sample, we find no evidence that these economic stresses accelerated or increased rates of marital dissolution. On the contrary, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the recession led some couples to delay or forego marital separation. This relationship was strongest in subgroups that were hardest hit by the recession: racial and ethnic minorities and those with low levels of educational attainment.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristen Harknett & Daniel Schneider, 2012. "Is a Bad Economy Good for Marriage? The Relationship between Macroeconomic Conditions and Marital Stability from 1998-2009," Working Papers 1375, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    • Handle: RePEc:pri:crcwel:wp12-04-ff.pdf
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    File URL: https://fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/sites/fragilefamilies/files/wp12-04-ff.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jeremy Arkes & Yu-Chu Shen, 2010. "For Better or for Worse, But How About a Recession?," NBER Working Papers 16525, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    marriage; education; economic cycles; unemployment; marital separation; children;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D19 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Other
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • I00 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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