American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics
ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)
All the Single Ladies: Job Promotions and the Durability of Marriage
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 12,
no. 1, January 2020
(pp. 260–87)
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.20180435Additional 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