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Urban Density and the Procyclicality of Divorce

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  • Sheena Murray

    (Curry College)

Abstract

This study measures the response of marriage to fluctuations in local labor market conditions more precisely than previous studies by using a newly-digitized data set of all divorces and annulments granted in US counties from1970 to 1988. The observations are aggregated to the census-defined Labor Market Areas level, which allows for testing of heterogeneous treatment effects depending on the urban density levels in the LMA. Results show a strong, robust, and pro-cyclical relationship between employment rates and divorce rates. Importantly the disaggregated testing shows that the observed trend is driven by rural regions with many urban areas showing an a-cyclical or counter-cyclical patter. This finding is significant in understanding regional trends and demographic patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Sheena Murray, 2017. "Urban Density and the Procyclicality of Divorce," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(1), pages 411-422.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-16-00840
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Marriage; Divorce; Unemployment; Employment Rate;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J6 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers

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