There are many things that can lead to divorce, and each divorce has its own reasons. Even before a divorce is filed, there are some factors that can signal that a divorce is more likely than average if those factors are present in the marriage. One of these is unemployment; however, it is only the husband’s employment status that matters here.
The chance of divorce for a man who is employed full time is 2.5 percent. For men who aren’t employed, the chance of being divorced increases by .8 percent to 3.3 percent. That chance of divorce is per year that the man is married. Of course, that doesn’t mean that unemployed men should resign themselves to being divorced.
These percentages were determined by studying 46 years worth of data on a total of 6,300 married couples. This shows an interesting shift in what matters in a marriage because prior to 1975, housework was a key signal that divorce would occur. In marriages that occurred prior to that year, divorce was more likely if the husband did an equal share of the housework. Marriages after that year weren’t really affected by that factor.
No matter what factors are present in your marriage, if you think it is headed for divorce, you should begin to take steps to protect your interests. You can do this by learning the legal options you have in Tennessee during a divorce. For example, explore how mediation varies from a trial, so you can decide the manner in which you are most comfortable handling your divorce. The more prepared you are, the less stress you are likely to feel.
Source: Acton Institute, “A husband’s unemployment increases the risk of divorce,” Joe Carter, Sep. 26, 2016