Family Facts: Social Science Research on Family, Society & Religion

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This finding compares the economic consequences of divorce and cohabiting union dissolution.

The income-to-needs ratios, which measure family economic resources (family income divided by poverty threshold), were higher for married men and women than for cohabiting couples. The likelihood that married couples were in poverty was 9 to 11% lower compared to cohabiting couples.

Sample or Data Description
The data was drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 (NLSY, 1979) using the 1982 – 1994 waves. The sample was comprised of 385 cohabiting women, 404 cohabiting men, 942 married women, and 641 married men.

Source
"The Economic Consequences of the Dissolution of Cohabiting Unions."
Avellar, S.
Smock, P. J.
The Journal of Marriage and Family Vol. 67, Number . , 2005. Page(s) 315 – 327.

FindingID: 8543