National Marriage Week: It Pays to Get Married, Even in a Recession

Sarah Torre / February 08, 2011

The Washington Post reports today on a new study highlighting the effects of the “Great Recession” on marriage. The report from the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project suggests that while the recent economic downturn has placed financial stress on a majority of married couples, lifelong relationships continue to thrive.

According to the report, more than half of all married Americans experience at least one type of financial stressor, including worrying about paying the bills, struggling to pay the mortgage, or having income reduced through job loss or a reduction in work hours.

Despite these economic hardships, almost one-third of married Americans who experience some kind of financial stress agree that the strain has led to greater personal commitment to their marriage. Likewise, of those couples who had considered divorce prior to the downturn, 38 percent say they have postponed or abandoned those plans as a result of the recession. While the study’s survey did not explicitly ask why married couples are choosing to work harder on maintaining and saving their marriage even in the face of financial hardship, social science demonstrates the many appealing economic benefits of marriage to both individuals and society. (more…)