Cohabiting couples tend to have less education and income than married couples, and it may be that those who do not marry are a particularly disadvantaged group.
In general,
cohabiting couples tend to have less education and income than married couples, and it may be that those who do not marry are a particularly disadvantaged group (for example, we could not account for the job prospects of male partners).
Cohabiting couples tend to be younger and have less college education than married couples, and cohabiting fathers tend to have lower incomes and are slightly less likely to be employed than married fathers (77 % compared to 90 %).19 Consequently, cohabiting couples may need more support to build economic stability, including job training and placement, as well as financial education to better manage less income and fewer resources.
Not exact matches
Married
couples tend to be more stable and more financially sound, according to some studies, while
cohabiting parents are more likely to split up.
For whatever reason, society
tends to see
cohabiting couples as «less than.»
Dating
couples seem to argue most about issues such as commitment, time together, and the future of the relationship while married
couples tend to argue about issues that come with sharing a household, such as money, children, and the division of labor.4
Cohabiting couples, especially those who have not made a formal commitment to marry each other, may get a particularly high dose of all of these kinds of issues and at a time when they don't necessarily have the commitment to the relationship or the skills yet to be able to tackle them well.
«
Couples who cohabit before marriage (and especially before an engagement or an otherwise clear commitment) tend to be less satisfied with their marriages — and more likely to divorce — than couples who
Couples who
cohabit before marriage (and especially before an engagement or an otherwise clear commitment)
tend to be less satisfied with their marriages — and more likely to divorce — than
couples who
couples who do not.
Traditionalists
tend to think
cohabiting before marriage is a bad idea, and progressives are more likely to embrace it, but new research says that's not the best way to approach the question: The important thing is how
couples make the leap into a shared life.
Compared with married
couples with children,
cohabiting couples with children
tend to be younger, less educated, lower — income, and have less secure employment.