Women Who Outearn Men Still Cause Friction in Relationships, Study Shows

Researchers find marriage rates, housework affected

Women who make more money than men can still friction in relationships and prevent men from pairing up with them, according to preliminary study by University of Chicago and Singapore economists. Researchers estimated that in about 13 percent of families, the husband barely out-earned his wife, while the wife earned slightly more than her husband only 8 percent of the time. The authors predicted that women's new earning capacity could result in fewer getting married, and high-skilled women taking jobs they're overqualified for (or exiting the labor force altogether) just to satisfy imposed gender roles. They also estimate that nearly a third of the drop in marriage rates since 1970 may be attributed just to the rising wages of women. Additionally, the authors found that high-earning women may also compensate for adopting “male” identities by putting in more hours cooking dinner, doing laundry, and otherwise taking care of the home. (Slate)

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