recession, unemployment and divorce

From Susan Olasky in World... who opens with a quote from Christian sociology prof, Brad Wilcox:

"The recession reminds us that marriage is more than an emotional relationship; marriage is also an economic partnership and social safety net....There is nothing like the loss of a job, an imminent foreclosure, or a shrinking 401(k) to gain new appreciation for a wife's job, a husband's commitment to pay down debt, or the in-laws' willingness to help out with childcare or a rent-free place to live."

From there, she analyzes the impact of the current recession on marriage:

A decline in the divorce rate last year shows that the recession has not caused a stampede toward divorce court, but the decline may be temporary as couples wait for housing prices to rebound before getting divorced. One positive note: Credit card debt is down. Couples are more likely to stay together when they have more shared assets and fewer debts....

This recession...has thrown more working-class and poor men out of work, and Wilcox's research suggests that this could have troubling long-term effects...