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  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

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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
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