The Effect of Marriage and Divorce on Women's Economic Well-Being

TLDR

Marriage’s division of labor often results in women having lower and less continuous employment than men. The study examines whether divorced women would enjoy the same economic well‑being as married women and whether all women become economically vulnerable after divorce. Using longitudinal National Survey of Families and Households data, the authors estimate endogenous switching regression models to predict divorce odds and subsequent economic well‑being for divorced and married women. Findings indicate that divorced women fare worse economically than married women would have if they had remained married, and that women generally are economically vulnerable outside marriage, with typical married women experiencing similar financial distress if they were to divorce.

Abstract

This article focuses on the question of whether divorced women would experience the same absolute levels of economic well being by staying married as women who remain married experience. The study additionally examines the argument that all women are economically vulnerable once marriage ends by examining whether the average married women would if she were to divorce experience the same low levels of economic well being as divorced women do. Longitudinal data from the National Survey of Families and Households are utilized to estimate endogenous switching regression models that simultaneously predict the odds of divorce and subsequent economic well being for women who divorce and for those who remain married. Findings suggest that divorced women would not fare as well economically as married women had they remained married instead of divorcing. This study concludes that women generally are economically vulnerable outside marriage. By virtue of the division of labor in marriage many women still accrue lower levels and less continuity of employment than their husbands. This study indicates that the typical married woman would experience the same financial distress if she were to divorce thus underscoring womens economic vulnerability.