The Destabilizing Effect of Job Loss on Partnerships. What Role Does the Division of Labor Play?

• In Event: 054 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 18. The Division of Labor

Abstract

As known from previous studies unemployment entails detrimental effects on both partners’ subjective well-being. Based on this it is not surprising that unemployment also increases the risk of partnership dissolution. Even though some studies investigate the interrelation of unemployment and separation, only a few aim to identify underlying mechanism which may cause this negative relationship. This paper aims to provide further insight by accounting for the division of labor within the couple in more detail. Using the longitudinal data of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) results suggest that the impact of one partner’s unemployment onto the risk of partnership dissolutions depends on the other partner’s employment status. Furthermore, it reveals that the impact of the male partner’s unemployment significantly is affected by the share of housework done by the unemployed male partner.

Author

• Frederike Esche, Humboldt University-Berlin