Ol’Otis
The Picasso of the Ghetto
Marriage isn’t as popular as it once was. In fact, the marriage rate in the U.S. is the lowest it’s been in at least 150 years, reports PBS.
A new study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, may have one explanation as to why: There aren’t enough “economically-attractive” men — ones with a good income and a stable job — for single women to marry.
In the study, researchers examined couples in heterosexual marriages from 2008 to 2012 and 2013 to 2017, compiling character profiles (education and income levels) of the husbands. When they analyzed the pool of available men for these economically-attractive traits that demographically-similar single women might look for, there was a shortage of potential matches.
The researchers hypothesized that potential husbands for the single women had an average income nearly 60 percent higher than the actual pool of available men. They were also 30 percent more likely to be employed and 19 percent more likely to have a college degree compared to current bachelors.
In other words, the researchers say there’s a shortage of available men who are economically attractive, which they define as “partners with either a bachelor’s degree or incomes of more than $40,000 a year.”
While the focus on finances might sound shallow — or at least, not very romantic — lead author, Daniel T. Lichter, PhD, a professor at Cornell University, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that money matters in marriage.
“Economic stability is a key to a stable family life — to getting married, staying married, and marrying well,” he says. “Physical attractiveness may provide an initial filter that draws our attention, but economic considerations and shared values matter much more in the long term. A good job attracts and retains suitable marital partners. And this is true for both men and women.”
A new study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, may have one explanation as to why: There aren’t enough “economically-attractive” men — ones with a good income and a stable job — for single women to marry.
In the study, researchers examined couples in heterosexual marriages from 2008 to 2012 and 2013 to 2017, compiling character profiles (education and income levels) of the husbands. When they analyzed the pool of available men for these economically-attractive traits that demographically-similar single women might look for, there was a shortage of potential matches.
The researchers hypothesized that potential husbands for the single women had an average income nearly 60 percent higher than the actual pool of available men. They were also 30 percent more likely to be employed and 19 percent more likely to have a college degree compared to current bachelors.
In other words, the researchers say there’s a shortage of available men who are economically attractive, which they define as “partners with either a bachelor’s degree or incomes of more than $40,000 a year.”
While the focus on finances might sound shallow — or at least, not very romantic — lead author, Daniel T. Lichter, PhD, a professor at Cornell University, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that money matters in marriage.
“Economic stability is a key to a stable family life — to getting married, staying married, and marrying well,” he says. “Physical attractiveness may provide an initial filter that draws our attention, but economic considerations and shared values matter much more in the long term. A good job attracts and retains suitable marital partners. And this is true for both men and women.”
these women just arent attracted to traditional "ideal" husbands.