Divorce Legalisation and Female Labour Supply. ESRI Research Bulletin 2013/2/3

Keane, Claire (2013) Divorce Legalisation and Female Labour Supply. ESRI Research Bulletin 2013/2/3. UNSPECIFIED.

PDF - Published Version Download (128Kb)

Abstract

The negative economic impact on women and children of separation and divorce has been well documented. The effect is often driven by women tending to have a weaker attachment to the labour force and therefore lower independent income. Traditionally, couples often ‘specialise’ with one spouse (usually the husband) focussing their time and energy in the labour market and the other (usually the wife) tending to have a lower attachment to the labour force by either working part-time or not at all and taking on a higher share of unpaid domestic and caring responsibilities. This is particularly the case for couples with children - of the total number of couples of working age with children 41% have a sole male earner while 20% are dual earners with the male working full-time and female working part-time2.This situation requires a long term financial commitment between spouses over time. This arrangement may be weakened if the risk of marital breakdown increases. Women may decide to increase their participation in the paid labour market in response to an increased risk of marital breakdown in order to ensure access to independent income if the marriage were to end. In light of this, we examine the impact of divorce legalisation on the labour supply of women in Ireland.

Actions (login required)