By Stephen Lunn
The Courier-Mail
June 05, 2009 08:32am
MEN in jobs with long hours are no more likely to divorce than anyone else.
And if the extra hours are bringing in more money, it may be helping to keep the marriage together.
A new study co-authored by Melbourne Institute economist Mark Wooden finds men are less likely to split up with their partner if they are working between 40 and 50 hours a week, The Australian reports.
“The optimal work arrangement appears to be where the man works a 41- to 49-hour week,” Professor Wooden said.
“Beyond this, the risk of separation does rise, but it is still lower than for couples where the male works a 35- to 40-hour work week.”
Professor Wooden used data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, which tracked families between 2002 and 2006, to conclude that long work hours do no harm in terms of divorce rates.
His article was published yesterday in HILDA’s annual statistical report, titled Families, Income and Jobs, alongside other research that confirmed 2002-2006 as a golden period for household wealth creation, which surged 35 per cent over the five years.
In his study of work hours, Professor Wooden noted the current debate over the effect of long working hours on family life. About one in five workers report putting in 50 hours or more a week.
“While surveys have consistently found people believe long hours are detrimental for personal relationships, there are few, if any, studies providing evidence of clear causal links between long work weeks, especially when worked by the husband, and subsequent marital separation or divorce,” his paper notes.
“Indeed, recent studies conducted in both the US and The Netherlands suggests that, if anything, the probability of divorce falls with the number of hours worked by the husband.”
Professor Wooden said income played a part in the chances of divorce, with the probability of separation falling the higher the income level of the male.
But Barbara Pocock, from the Centre for Work and Life at the University of South Australia, said it was hard to unpick the complex reasons behind divorce.
“People separate and divorce for a nest of reasons, and I think it’s difficult to try to isolate single causes,” Professor Pocock said.
“Qualitative research shows long hours can be a significant factor when examining the quality of a relationship, but an important component is whether those hours are voluntarily worked.
“Also the nature of the work may be a factor, for instance how intense it is. That can be a real relationship killer.”
Read more on the HILDA report at The Australian
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,25590399-5012426,00.html