Do Financial and Employment Uncertainty Affect Couple Stability? Evidence for France during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Barbuscia Anna , INED
Ariane Pailhe, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Anne Solaz , Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

The uncertainty generated by the COVID-19 crisis might affect couple relations and stability. Feelings of uncertainty can generate stress and tensions between the members of a couple, which might affect marital relationship. Hence, the great uncertainty about financial resources that some individuals face might be an additional source of stress with potential negative consequences on intra-family relationships. So far, the evidence about the effects of the pandemic on couple stability is scarce and has provided inconclusive evidence. In this study, we examine couple separation and quality of relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic in France, and how these are related with financial deterioration and employment uncertainty. We use data from the French “Epidemiology and living conditions” (EPICOV), nationally representative large survey launched by INSERM and DREES to analyse the effects of the pandemic. In addition to health data, the survey contains information on family status, quality of relationship (measured by whether the couple has had more arguments than usual), changes in employment status and financial situation, and a subjective measure of individual financial situation. Preliminary results show that among the 69,973 individuals aged more than 20 years who were in a cohabiting relationship, 5 % separated within around 6 months, a higher rate than the usual annual rate observed in France using fiscal register data, with stronger effects for young and childless couples. Interestingly, net of actual income, the experience of worsening financial situation since the beginning of the lock-down is associated to higher probability of separating in the following months.

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 Presented in Session 28. Flash Session: Covid and the Family