Live data from Hacker News

Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

bloombergquint.com

91–100 of 266 posts

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#91

I wonder how much cost plays in, I mean, my fiancée and I are adult middle class millennials and we’ve been saving for two years to have a wedding, and we’re planning a relatively cheap one.

My advice?

Don't have a relatively cheap wedding. Have a _cheap_ wedding.

(Do not waste two years of your life making money that you blow on 6 hours of rituals.)

Our wedding cost less than $1000 (near Philadelphia, so HCOL area), and is described by friends as "beautiful" and "one of my all-time favorites."

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#92

Millennials are forced to be more careful, because they're climbing a difficult and important ladder into financial security. Most people I know who aren't looking to marry are just very aware that this is not the right time for them, neither finically nor in relation to achieving their professional goals.

I think about this from time-to-time. My partner and I know we couldn't afford children now, though she's constantly ..."noticing the clock ticking".

I'd like children some day.

But what makes me snicker is it sounds exactly like the beginning of Idiocracy.

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#93
post #38

speaking as a millennial there is a big reason Marriage is overtaking divorce. Health insurance. Most of us dont have jobs that afford us competent healthcare. Seriously, thank the gig economy. Affordable Care Act providers either do not exist in some states or are overpriced/worthless for what they do cover. There are still roughly 25 states that have not expanded medicare either. Getting married is a quick and simp…

> Most of us dont have jobs that afford us competent healthcare.

Is this true? I hear people say things like this but "most"? Seems too high.

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#94

Millennials are forced to be more careful, because they're climbing a difficult and important ladder into financial security. Most people I know who aren't looking to marry are just very aware that this is not the right time for them, neither finically nor in relation to achieving their professional goals.

Statistically though, married people have more money.

"married women can pay as much as $1 million less than their single counterparts over a lifetime"

"married men between 28 and 30 years old earn around $15,900 more a year in individual income compared to their single counterparts, while married men between 44 and 46 years old make $18,800 more than single men of the same ages"

+ other benefits

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-being-married-makes-you-...

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> we’ve been saving for two years to have a wedding, and we’re planning a relatively cheap one The second part here is in conflict with the first part...

An upper middle-class wedding on the coasts at any venue goes for a minimum of 30k. A really cheap wedding is just having in your back yard with a keg, but I don't think the OP is talking about that. A nice wedding with all your college buddies, looking at 100k.

That's a good idea. Kegs are about $160/170 if you get the good stuff.

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#96

"Many poorer and less educated Americans are opting not to get married at all. . . . Marriage is becoming a more durable, but far more exclusive, institution." How is it exclusive if it is by choice?

It's not entirely by choice. Getting married can have a significant impact on the benefits you are eligible to receive. Anecdotally, I knew a woman who lived with her boyfriend and children in section 8 housing through benefits she received for being low income. The boyfriend worked, but his income was not counted as household income because they weren't married. They eventually got married, and between his income and hers, their income was high enough to disqualify they for the section 8 benefits.

I don't know how common of a situation that is, but it is very possible to impact your public benefits with marriage.

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#97
post #38

speaking as a millennial there is a big reason Marriage is overtaking divorce. Health insurance. Most of us dont have jobs that afford us competent healthcare. Seriously, thank the gig economy. Affordable Care Act providers either do not exist in some states or are overpriced/worthless for what they do cover. There are still roughly 25 states that have not expanded medicare either. Getting married is a quick and simp…

Maybe.

I've just been looking at the UK stats and the divorce rate for to a quarter of that level.

In contrast, the rate for 35+ peaked in the early 90s then has dropped by a quarter.

This can't be explained by healthcare as marriage has very little effect on that in the UK. Could still be financial, of course, and could also be job security related though probably more related to housing than healthcare. But that's just speculation on my part.

Have to say, I don't think I've ever looked at the divorce stats before (never had a reason) but they're fascinating. For example, the number for men petitioning for divorces has remained pretty constant since the Divorce Reform Act in 1971. The number of women petitioning, though, ballooned through the 80s and 90s and has now dropped back to about the level in 1971. No idea why but interesting nonetheless.

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#98
post #82

Millennials are forced to be more careful, because they're climbing a difficult and important ladder into financial security. Most people I know who aren't looking to marry are just very aware that this is not the right time for them, neither finically nor in relation to achieving their professional goals.

I'm trying to find correlated information on young birth rates. My unprofessional guess is that a hell of a lot less people are getting teen pregnant and then marrying about it, which could lead to a messy divorce down the road (the thought of marrying some of the first people I hooked up with... I was 18 fucks sake...)

Yes this is correct at least for the US, teen pregnancy rates have been declining http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/29/why-is-the-t...

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#99

Millennials are forced to be more careful, because they're climbing a difficult and important ladder into financial security. Most people I know who aren't looking to marry are just very aware that this is not the right time for them, neither finically nor in relation to achieving their professional goals.

Statistically though, married people have more money. "married women can pay as much as $1 million less than their single counterparts over a lifetime" "married men between 28 and 30 years old earn around $15,900 more a year in individual income compared to their single counterparts, while married men between 44 and 46 years old make $18,800 more than single men of the same ages" + other benefits https://www.business…

Do married people have more money, or do more financially secure people get married?

Re: Millennials Are Causing the U.S. Divorce Rate to Plummet

#100
post #38

speaking as a millennial there is a big reason Marriage is overtaking divorce. Health insurance. Most of us dont have jobs that afford us competent healthcare. Seriously, thank the gig economy. Affordable Care Act providers either do not exist in some states or are overpriced/worthless for what they do cover. There are still roughly 25 states that have not expanded medicare either. Getting married is a quick and simp…

> Most of us dont have jobs that afford us competent healthcare. Is this true? I hear people say things like this but "most"? Seems too high.

Most might be a bit of an exaggeration but retail & food service industry definitely changed the way they operate just to avoid providing healthcare.

>A June 2016 study determined that 500,000 workers in the retail, hospitality and food service sectors were forced involuntarily into part-time employment as companies sought to circumvent the employer mandate

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/businesses-eliminated-hund...

Post reply on HN