The United States was officially considered out of a recession back in 2011. However, the slow and steady rebuilding process is still very much in effect. With the presidential election come and gone, the issues concerning the rebuilding of this nation have come into center stage even more, if it’s possible.
Currently, as of October 31st, 2012, the unemployment rate is approximately 8%. This means that there are 13.3 million unemployed people in the U.S as we speak. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5 million, or 40 percent, have been without a job for more than six months. Of this total, 4 million, or 29 percent, have been jobless for a year or more.
The Perfect Match
How does this tie into divorce you ask? Well its a simple match really. Divorces during the height of the recession were at an all time low. It’s easy to figure out why this is. When the outlook for the future is bleak, this including living paycheck to paycheck (or worse, not having a job to be able to support a family or pay bills with) the last thing anyone wants to do is shell out the rest of the little amount of money they do have on a costly divorce, lawyer, and court fees.
Divorces were put on the back burner, and the divorce rate took a nationwide hiatus during this recession. Money became of the utmost importance to those who were struggling in the workforce.
Another underlying reason divorces halted that not many care to admit is that during a recession, two incomes are better than one. Divorces halted because staying together is and was easier, but also because having loved ones around at hard times makes getting through them that much easier. When there is no job on the horizon, staying in a familiar setting is often the easiest and most cost-effective option.
After the Storm
Needless to say, the trends in divorce are starting to rear their heads once again. Since we are not technically out of the eye of the storm that was the recession, divorces are becoming more prevalent. With hope on the horizon for a new nation and the promise of jobs and lower taxes, money becomes viewed as dispensable again.
The next four years promise to be exciting, but probably turbulent, with our 45th president. The president has promised to take us out of this employment hole we are in and bring us into the light of day. Will this mean that divorce will rise or fall stagnant again? Does money equal happiness? There really is only one way to find out. No matter the outcome, divorces will occur, and it is slowly but surely becoming more and more a “normal” part of our society.