This website uses cookies.

By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance and traffic. For more information on our use of cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

  1. Home
  2. Journals
  3. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
  4. January 2020
  5. All the Single Ladies: Job Promotions and the Durability of Marriage

All the Single Ladies: Job Promotions and the Durability of Marriage

  • Olle Folke
  • Johanna Rickne
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 12, no. 1, January 2020
(pp. 260-87)
Download Full Text PDF

Abstract

We study how promotions to top jobs affect the probability of divorce. We compare the relationship trajectories of winning and losing candidates for mayor and parliamentarian and find that a promotion to one of these jobs doubles the baseline probability of divorce for women, but not for men. We also find a widening gender gap in divorce rates for men and women after being promoted to CEO. An analysis of possible mechanisms shows that divorces are concentrated in more gender-traditional couples, while women in more gender-equal couples are unaffected.

Citation

Folke, Olle, and Johanna Rickne. 2020. "All the Single Ladies: Job Promotions and the Durability of Marriage." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 12 (1): 260-87. DOI: 10.1257/app.20180435

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • J12 Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure; Domestic Abuse
  • J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
  • M12 Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
  • M51 Personnel Economics: Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions
There are no comments for this article.
Login to Comment