Effect of Labor Division between Wife and Husband on the Risk of Divorce: Evidence from German Data
33 Pages Posted: 29 Oct 2009
There are 2 versions of this paper
Effect of Labor Division between Wife and Husband on the Risk of Divorce: Evidence from German Data
Effect of Labor Division between Wife and Husband on the Risk of Divorce: Evidence from German Data
Date Written: October, 27 2009
Abstract
Using German panel data from 1984 to 2007, we analyze the impact of labor division between husband and wife on the risk of divorce. Gary Becker's theory of marriage predicts that specialization in domestic and market work, respectively, reduces the risk of separation. Traditionally, the breadwinner role is assigned to the husband, however, female labor force participation and their wages have risen substantially. Our results suggest that there are gender-specific differences, e.g. female breadwinner-couples have a substantially higher risk of divorce than male breadwinner-couples. In contrast, the equal division does not significantly alter the probability of separation.
Keywords: Divorce, Labor Division, Germany
JEL Classification: J12, J22
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation