When times are tough, people tend to adjust their choices to accommodate a tightened budget. In many cases, Connecticut residents will avoid making drastic changes for fear that their financial circumstances might worsen. This can keep people in a job that they hate, a house that they cannot afford, and, in some cases, a marriage that is not thriving. A recently released study suggests that the American divorce rate shrinks in times of economic hardship.
The study, which is entitled ‘Til Recession Do Us Part: Booms, Busts, and Divorce in the United States,’ is slated for publication in early 2013. The research looks at divorce rates from 1978 to 2009, taking that data and comparing it to the unemployment rate for the same years. Researchers found that divorce rates were lower during times of recession.
Many couples put off a divorce because of the cost of establishing and maintaining two separate households. However, statistics show that a large percentage of couples who put aside plans to divorce will still end their marriage once they have the financial wherewithal to do so. The author of the study predicts that divorce rates will rise in 2013 as economic conditions continue to improve.
While the impulse to work through tough times is a desirable quality in many ways, when it comes to marriage such an approach is not always prudent. Remaining in an unhappy union may seem like a financially responsible decision, but that approach minimizes the value of personal fulfillment, which is something that matters far more than the bottom line in one’s bank account. In many cases, the costs of Connecticut divorce can be minimized, and careful budgeting can allow both spouses to move forward in their lives without a significant financial hardship.
Source: The Marquette Tribune, “Divorce rates lower during recession,” Melanie Lawder, Nov. 20, 2012