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Unemployment, Marriage, and Divorce

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  • González-Val, Rafael
  • Marcén, Miriam

Abstract

In this paper, we examine whether the business cycle plays a role in marriage and divorce. We use data on Spain, since the differences between recession and expansion periods across regions are quite pronounced in that country. We find that the unemployment rate is negatively associated with the marriage rate, pointing to a pro-cyclical evolution of marriage; however the response of the divorce rate to the business cycle is mixed. Results show the existence of different patterns, depending on geography: divorce rates in coastal regions are pro-cyclical, while in inland regions divorces react to unemployment in a counter-cyclical way.

Suggested Citation

  • González-Val, Rafael & Marcén, Miriam, 2017. "Unemployment, Marriage, and Divorce," MPRA Paper 80644, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:80644
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    Cited by:

    1. Mizuki Komura & Hikaru Ogawa, 2022. "COVID-19, marriage, and divorce in Japan," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 831-853, September.
    2. Lauren Hoehn-Velasco & Jose Roberto Balmori de la Miyar & Adan Silverio-Murillo & Sherajum Monira Farin, 2023. "Marriage and divorce during a pandemic: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marital formation and dissolution in Mexico," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 757-788, September.
    3. Shah Md Atiqul Haq & Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed & Shamim Al Aziz Lalin & Arnika Tabassum Arno & Khandaker Jafor Ahmed, 2024. "Early marriage of girls in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a literature review," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Cavallini, Flavia, 2024. "Not the right time for children: Unemployment, fertility, and abortion," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Divorce; marriage; divorce law; unemployment; business cycle; geography;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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