Marital divide

Lifestyle/Technology | Trends in male employment may not bode well for marriage | Susan Olasky

Illustration by Krieg Barrie

The recession reminds us that marriage is more than an emotional relationship; marriage is also an economic partnership and social safety net." That's what Brad Wilcox writes in an introductory essay to The State of Our Unions: Marriage in America 2009: "There is nothing like the loss of a job, an imminent foreclosure, or a shrinking 401(k) to gain new appreciation for a wife's job, a husband's commitment to pay down debt, or the in-laws' willingness to help out with childcare or a rent-free place to live."

It's too early to know whether the Great Recession will be good for marriage or not. A decline in the divorce rate last year shows that the recession has not caused a stampede toward divorce court, but the decline may be temporary as couples wait for housing prices to rebound before getting divorced. One positive note: Credit card debt is down. Couples are more likely to stay together when they have more shared assets and fewer debts.