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

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

#121

Post by Broken_Hippo »

tesin wrote: post #89
combatentropy wrote: post #87

"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?

I think they are referring to people excluding potential partners due to their lack of money or education. But I agree, their writing insinuates the institution itself is discriminating.

I doubt that is it.

Two poor people can be really hurt by the way marriage is set up. Benefits get weird. The income might put them over the threshold for receiving benefits. And if the marriage goes badly - for example, if a spouse winds up being abusive, develops a drinking problem, and things of that sort - the poor person is stuck in the marriage simply for not being able to afford a divorce.

It isn't just that, but marriage costs time and money. It varies by state and county - and the services the courthouse offers varies as well. If you cannot afford the initial fees, the entire institution is off-limits.

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

#122

Post by encoderer »

odyssey7 wrote: post #75

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 a millennial so I’m sympathetic but this is something I’ve heard a lot about anecdotally without a lot of data behind it. Here are two more anecdotes:

My dad graduated in 1976 in the middle of stagflation and had a 12% apr on his first house in the mid 80s.

His dad graduated into the recession that stretched between ww2 and Korea.

I think we’re too quick to look at generations that have accumulated wealth and accuse them of having always had it easy.

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

#123

Post by Sohcahtoa82 »

sakopov wrote: post #117
52-6F-62 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That movie got a heck of a lot right. Still amusingly scary at times.

Relevant XKCD: https://xkcd.com/603/

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

#124

Post by Spivak »

cheeko1234 wrote: post #100
diminoten wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

I really have to wonder why this wasn't accounted for in the ACA. Like what business isn't going to decide if the administrative overhead of having more employees is less than the cost of providing healthcare and act accordingly? Would it have been that hard to require health insurance contributions in proportion to the employee's percentage FTE? Then it would actually be cheaper for businesses to hire full-time and someone working 40hr/wk at multiple jobs gets the same benefit as a salaried employee.

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

#125

Post by toasterlovin »

sandworm101 wrote: post #33
jandrese wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The wedding industry is a giant racket. It's so hard not to get ripped off when trying to plan for a wedding.

The real racket isn't in ripping people off for services, but that everyone needs these services. Weddings used to be relatively private affairs. Costs were far less. Churches provided services to parishioners and associated gatherings were at family houses. Today we are expected to purchase everything. Take wedding dresses. They were not always white. Brides bought expensive dresses, but they would expect to use the…

Wedding receptions have become an aspirational good. Like all other aspirational goods, people will climb as far up the ladder as they can manage.

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

#127

Post by aceon48 »

52-6F-62 wrote: post #92
odyssey7 wrote: post #75

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.

And Federal Reserve officials laugh when people suggest their policies and currency debasement causes declining birth rates. Their inflationary policies and increasing cost to live absolutely affect the ability and willingness of people to have children.

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

#128

Post by reaperducer »

Not sure if it's really millennials.

There was an article in the New York Times in 2014 stating that the divorce rate peaked in the 1980's and was at a near record low.

That was well before any Millennials were born.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/upshot/the-divorce-surge-...

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

#129

Post by malvosenior »

diminoten wrote: post #93
nimbius wrote: 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.

I think it's true. Even a lot of tech companies won't cover you 100% if you have a family. For a family of 4, you're looking at $2,000 a month. Often the employer will pay half of that.

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

#130

Post by tonyedgecombe »

Zimahl wrote: post #74
yters wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My parents got married in a friend's house and they had the reception in the backyard with friends playing music. I think the wedding cost like $100 or something. Unclear why modern weddings have to be so expensive. Mine definitely was overpriced.

Weddings became a market to manipulate just like any other. From the rings to the honeymoon, everything has been commoditized, including an entire industry that perpetuates the 'ideal' (magazines, pinterest, etc.). What used to be private, family-only affairs has now morphed into a 'need' to invite 200 or so people you don't know and feed them so they give you gifts.

From https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2501480

"we find evidence that marriage duration is inversely associated with spending on the engagement ring and wedding ceremony"

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