The Impact of Dual-Career Marriage on Occupational Mobility in the Local Government Management Profession

Abstract

The vast majority of local-government managers are married to spouses who are employed outside the home, and one-fourth of these two-income couples are "dual career," meaning that both spouses are committed to lifelong professional development. A national survey shows that local-government managers from dual-career marriages are more likely than other managers to consider their spouses' employment potential when deciding whether, and where, to relocate. These results confirm other research showing that dual-career couples are often reluctant to be transferred or move to new jobs because it is difficult to accommodate the careers of both spouses. Public administrators need to consider these findings when designing recruitment and retention policies.