Marriage and Divorce Since World War Ii: Analyzing the Role of Technological Progress on the Formation of Households

Greenwood, Jeremy; Guner, Nezih

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Marriage and Divorce Since World War Ii: Analyzing the Role of Technological Progress on the Formation of Households

NBER Working Paper No. w10772

67 Pages Posted: 25 May 2006 Last revised: 9 Dec 2022

See all articles by Jeremy Greenwood

Jeremy Greenwood

University of Pennsylvania - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Nezih Guner

Charles III University of Madrid; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

There are 4 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 2004

Abstract

Since World War II there has been: (i) a rise in the fraction of time that married households allocate to market work, (ii) an increase in the rate of divorce, and (iii) a decline in the rate of marriage. What can explain this? It is argued here that technological progress in the household sector has saved on the need for labor at home. This makes it more feasible for singles to maintain their own home, and for married women to work. To address this question, a search model of marriage and divorce is developed. Household production benefits from labor-saving technological progress.

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Greenwood, Jeremy and Guner, Nezih, Marriage and Divorce Since World War Ii: Analyzing the Role of Technological Progress on the Formation of Households (September 2004). NBER Working Paper No. w10772, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=592151