On work hours in the US and Europe

Hans Holter, Indraneel Chakraborty, Serhiy Stepanchuk, 18 May 2012

It is no secret that Americans work more than Europeans – 30% more according to recent studies. Many economists point to higher taxes in Europe as a major cause. This column suggests that divorce rates also play a role, particularly for women's labour supply.

According to recent research, Americans work 30% more than Europeans (Prescott 2004 and Rogerson 2006). This was not the case in early 1970s when Western Europeans worked more than Americans. What accounts for the large differences between countries today?

Topics: Frontiers of economic research, Labour markets
Tags: America, divorce, Europe, inactivity, Labour force participation, taxes, work

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The effect of joint custody on marriage and divorce

Martin Halla, 3 August 2009

Marriage rates have been falling over the last thirty years and cohabitation has emerged as an important social institution. A large number of US polices have been designed to increase the incidence of marriage and to stabilise existing marriages. This column shows that custody law is one such policy – it has had a large positive impact on marriage rates since 1969.

The American family has undergone radical changes over the last decades. Marriage rates have been falling over the last thirty years and cohabitation has emerged as an important social institution. Divorce rates rose sharply starting in the mid-1960s, peaked in the early 1980s, and have been declining since (Figure 1).

Topics: Frontiers of economic research
Tags: divorce, joint custody, marriage