Couples in Which the Woman is The Only Earner Report Lower Life Satisfaction

A significant number of women are expected to assume the role of primary earner at some stage in their relationships, albeit temporarily. The evolving landscape of employment patterns and gender roles will have an impact on numerous households.

However, our recent study, which underwent peer review, demonstrates that in heterosexual couples, overall well-being is diminished when the woman is the sole provider, as opposed to situations where the man is the primary earner or when both partners are employed.

A recent analysis of over 14 years of European social survey data revealed that both men and women experience lower life satisfaction when the woman in a heterosexual relationship is the primary breadwinner, with men being particularly affected. This effect persisted even after controlling for factors such as income, gender attitudes, and other individual characteristics.

The study examined the responses of more than 42,000 working-age individuals across nine countries. Well-being was measured by asking participants to rate their overall life satisfaction on a scale from zero (extremely dissatisfied) to ten (extremely satisfied). Most individuals provided scores ranging from five to eight.

Life satisfaction points

These “life satisfaction points” helped compare the well-being of different groups. Initially, men reported a life satisfaction score of 5.86 when the female partner was the sole earner, compared to 7.16 when the male partner was the sole earner. For women, the corresponding figures were 6.33 and 7.10, respectively.

The challenges faced by couples with a female breadwinner were most pronounced in Germany, followed by the UK, Ireland, and Spain. However, the issue was prevalent across Europe, even in countries with greater gender equality, such as Finland.

Interestingly, men appeared to struggle more psychologically in female-breadwinner households than women. The study found that men experienced such a significant psychological burden when their female partners were the main earners that they would prefer their partners to be unemployed altogether. After accounting for basic characteristics, income levels, and gender attitudes, unemployed men reported significantly higher life satisfaction when both partners were jobless.

Observing their partners going to work daily, whether in an office or from home, seemed to negatively impact the self-perception of unemployed men. However, when their partners were in a similar situation, unemployed men may have felt less stigmatized about their own lack of employment.

Interestingly, men in female-breadwinner couples reported the lowest well-being when they were unemployed rather than “inactive” (not actively seeking work but engaged in housework or other caregiving responsibilities). Unemployment was associated with greater psychological costs, including self-doubt, uncertainty, loneliness, and societal stigma. The study did not consider individuals who were inactive due to health or disability reasons.

In fact, unemployed men expressed a preference to switch roles with their breadwinner wives. Men reported significantly higher well-being when the woman was unemployed instead of themselves, while women reported equally low well-being regardless of which partner was unemployed.

Characteristics of households

Characteristics of households where the woman is the primary earner can shed light on the factors contributing to their lower well-being. These couples tend to have lower average household incomes compared to households with two earners or where the man is the primary earner. They are also more likely to face difficulties in coping with their current income. Furthermore, more men in female-breadwinner households report fair to very bad health and have lower levels of education.

When controlling for these factors, along with basic characteristics like age and children, as well as gender-role attitudes and each partner’s share of household income, the well-being of women only shows a marginal decrease (-0.048 life satisfaction points) when the woman is the sole earner instead of the man.

However, even after accounting for these factors, men’s well-being remains significantly lower, with a difference of over half a life satisfaction point (-0.585) when the woman is the only earner. In Germany, this difference exceeds a full life satisfaction point (-1.112).

Therefore, while the characteristics of female-breadwinner couples largely explain the lower well-being observed in women, they do not fully account for the disparity in men’s well-being.

The relationship between masculinity, employment, and well-being

In many countries, being the primary breadwinner is still central to men’s sense of identity. Providing financial support for the family is strongly linked to notions of masculinity and being a “good” father. When these roles are reversed, couples may face social consequences such as gossip, ridicule, judgment from acquaintances, as well as mental health challenges.

Unemployed men may be particularly vulnerable to feelings of isolation and loneliness, as they are less likely than women to have social networks based on community or caregiving relationships, such as friendships formed at school.

Meanwhile, gendered expectations of selflessness may lead women to go to greater lengths than men to shield their partners from the true extent of their distress. This dynamic may also work in reverse: when the man is unemployed, the woman may be more attuned to and negatively affected by his struggles compared to if their roles were reversed.

However, unemployment has become a common aspect of the modern working world, affecting middle-class professionals who were historically shielded from this risk. Our findings suggest that gender norms play a role in how couples handle unemployment, with men placing greater importance on their own employment status compared to their female partners’.

Furthermore, men’s distress in a female-breadwinner arrangement may discourage women from pursuing jobs or seeking higher-paying positions, perpetuating gender inequalities in employment rates, career advancement, and income.

Clearly, there is still a long way to go in dismantling the association between breadwinning and masculinity. It is crucial to challenge the idealization of male breadwinning so that men no longer feel like failures when they fall short of this expectation.

Read the original article on Phys.

Read more: Businesses Obligated to Act Accordingly to the Green Agenda.