There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage—there will always be bumps in the road. But a new study found a major factor that predicts divorce: unemployed husbands. Married men who were out of work were one-third more likely to get a divorce than guys who had full-time jobs. (It’s worth noting this study only looked at heterosexual couples. Plus instances where the husband chooses to be out of the workforce—like a stay-at-home dad—don’t count as unemployed.)
The findings aren’t meant to suggest relationships are doomed when the husband is out of work. It’s more of a warning signal that these kinds of circumstances usually put stress on a marriage. If you and your partner are aware that tough times lie ahead, and you’re both committed to doing your best to work through it, you’re setting yourself up for success.
