Weathering the storm together: Does unemployment insurance help couples avoid divorce?

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Authors
Kessler, Dorian
Hevenstone, Debora
Vandecasteele, Leen
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
2022
Typ of student thesis
Course of study
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
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Parent work
Journal of European Social Policy
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
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Series
Series number
Volume
Issue / Number
Pages / Duration
1-16
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Publisher / Publishing institution
SAGE
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Abstract
This study examines whether unemployment insurance benefit generosity impacts divorce, drawing on full population administrative data and a Swiss reform that reduced unemployment insurance maximum benefit duration. We assess the effect of the reform by comparing the pre- to the post-reform change in divorce rates among unemployed individuals who were affected by the reform with the change in divorce rates among a statistically balanced group of unemployed individuals who was not affected by the reform. Difference-indifferences estimates suggest that the reform caused a 2.8 percentage point increase in divorce (a 25% increase). Effects were concentrated among low-income couples (+58%) and couples with an unemployed husband (+32%) though gender differences are attributable to men’s breadwinner status. Female main breadwinners were more strongly affected (+78%) than male main breadwinners (+40%). Results confirm the ‘family stress model’ which posits that job search and financial stress cause marital conflict. Policymakers should consider a broad array of impacts, including divorce, when considering reductions in unemployment insurance generosity
Keywords
Unemployment insurance, divorce, income, unemployment benefits, family stress, quasi-experiment
Subject (DDC)
360 - Soziale Probleme, Sozialdienste, Versicherungen
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ISBN
ISSN
1461-7269
0958-9287
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Preprint
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Hybrid
License
'https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/'
Citation
KESSLER, Dorian, Debora HEVENSTONE, Leen VANDECASTEELE und Samin SEPAHNIYA, 2022. Weathering the storm together: Does unemployment insurance help couples avoid divorce? Journal of European Social Policy. 2022. S. 1–16. DOI 10.1177/09589287221141363. Verfügbar unter: https://doi.org/10.26041/fhnw-4591

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