Which Jobs Are Associated with Higher Divorce Rates?

 Posted on November 01, 2018 in Divorce

A 2017 study attempted to connect a person's job with his or her likelihood of divorce by looking at which careers have the highest and lowest divorce rates in the U.S. The top 10 jobs in which employees most often divorced were:

1. Gaming managers;
2. Bartenders;
3. Flight attendants;
4. Gaming service workers;
5. Rolling machine workers;
6. Switchboard operators;
7. Extruding and drawing machine workers;
8. Telemarketers;
9. Textile knitting and weaving machine workers; and
10. Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine workers.

While a list is fun to look at, it is more useful to understand the shared traits of these careers that may increase the risk of divorce. 

Long or Odd Hours

Many of the careers with the highest divorce rates can require working nights and weekends. This schedule may limit how often spouses see and interact with each other if they do not work the same hours. People who work odd hours may also be more tempted to have an affair with a co-worker. They are around their co-workers more often than their spouses and find it easier to spend time outside of work with someone who has the same schedule.

Low Pay

Employees made less than $35,000 per year in eight of the 10 jobs with the highest divorce rates. Low-income spouses are generally less happy in their marriages because worrying about money causes stress. The spouses may argue about how they should spend their money, which can lead to anger and resentment towards each other. Wealthier spouses can better afford marriage counseling or stress-relieving recreational activities.

Job Prospects

Market data found that seven of the top-10 careers are experiencing a decline in the number of jobs available. Losing a job or worrying about employment stability causes stress, which the affected spouse may express as anger at home. The job prospects for these workers may be bleak because most of the jobs do not require them to have more than a high school degree. Not having a college education may make them unqualified for jobs outside of low-paying positions with declining employment rates.

True Effect

The study shows a correlation between a type of career and the frequency of divorce but does not prove that these careers cause people to divorce. Marriages that end in divorce usually have deeper problems than the stress that a job can cause. It is possible that people with personalities that are prone to divorce are more likely to work in one of these careers. The cause of your divorce does not change how you should respond to it. A DuPage County divorce attorney at Calabrese Associates, P.C., can guide you through the divorce process. To schedule a consultation, call 630-393-3111.

Source:

https://ifstudies.org/blog/a-closer-look-at-the-jobs-with-the-highest-and-lowest-divorce-rates