Recession’s impact on unmarriage
The news that one-third of workers under age 35 live with their parents really caught my eye, because one of the big factors in people’s likelihood to marry is whether they feel economically independent. It is probably fair to predict that the longer people feel economically unstable, the later they’ll put off marriage, and the larger the unmarried population will grow.
Though much of the article is about union organizing, it is full of economic and cultural insights that make it worth reading in its entirety. For example:
In the age group 25 through 34 years old, traditionally a prime age range for getting married and starting a family, just 81 of 100 men were employed.
News like this makes it especially infuriating that the federal government and many states spend over $150 million per year on marriage programs instead of helping low-income people get and keep jobs.
Of course, some people do make marital decisions regardless of their economic situation, as the article nicely captures:
After getting married, my wife and I decided to move in with my parents to pay off our bills. We could afford to live on our own but we’d never be able to get out of debt. We have school loans to pay off, too. We’d like to have children, but we just can’t manage the expense of it right now…so we’re putting it off till we’re in a better place. My [work] position is on the edge, and I feel like if my company were to cut back, my position would be one of the first to go.
I’ve also seen articles about the recession causing couples to delay divorce. But my instinct says that people increasingly delaying marriage will have bigger demographic impact.
