Posted on 10/12/2017 8:10:39 PM PDT by BJ1
The number of Americans living with a spouse or partner has fallen notably in the last decade, driven in part by decisions to delay marriage in the wake of a recession that hit new entrants into the workforce especially hard.
Forty-two percent of Americans live without a spouse or partner, up from 39 percent in 2007, according to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau figures. For those under the age of 35 years old, 61 percent live without a spouse or partner, up 5 percentage points from a decade ago.
The higher number of spouseless households comes as the marriage rate declines precipitously. Just half of American adults are married, down from 72 percent in 1960.
The average American woman gets married just after her 27th birthday, while the average man waits until he is 29.5 years old to marry — significantly higher than the median ages half a century ago.
“The median age of first marriage has gone up significantly over the past several decades,” said Kim Parker, who directs research on social trends at the Pew Research Center. “But it’s not all about delayed marriage. The share of Americans who have never married has been rising steadily in recent decades. So, part of it is a move away from marriage.”
Pew researchers said the rise in those households without a partner or spouse is not a sign that more marriages are breaking up; the divorce rate has been stable, or even declining, since the 1980s.
Instead, analysts said, the decline in both marriage and partnerships is likely a result of the declining ability of men to earn a salary large enough to sustain a family.
“All signs point to the growing fragility of the male wage earner,” said Cheryl Russell, a demographer and editorial director at the New Strategist Press. “The demographic segments most likely to be living without a partner are the ones in which men are struggling the most — young adults, the less educated, Hispanics, and blacks.”
Ah, we’re going to leap past Obama and go back to GWB. Got it.
It has nothing to do with money and everything to do with the encouragement of the “me first” society.
This is absolutely the end product of “liberated” women. Have fun bitches.
They strictly talk about economic reasons for this. There are many other social,legal, emotional reasons for the decline of marriage.
There have been long threads in the past here on Free Republic about that subject. And many posters were of the opinion that, too many American women aren’t worth marrying, due to liberalism and feminism; the legal situation in case of divorce is slanted against men; the sexual revolution has resulted in a marketplace of girls for men to be satisfied in that area of life, without committing to marriage.
I think those were key factors people brought up. Men nowadays, just aren’t as interested in marriage as men of past decades
>>>I think those were key factors people brought up. Men nowadays, just aren’t as interested in marriage as men of past decades<<<
There is truth to all that. But I also know a couple of single guys in my tiny church. One is an older guy now. He doesn’t have a good paying job and isn’t that good looking. He would have married if he could have. Another guy is about 40. He’s still looking, but he claims the women aren’t all that into him. He lives in an apartment. Maybe there is something to men aren’t as interested as before, while simultaneously other marriage minded men just can’t offer enough financial security to be deemed marriage material by women.
It’s not so much a function of the national economy as much as it is the economy of subsidizing a solipsistic, self-entitled woman inculcated with decades of me-first feminism.
I wonder what the percentage is for 55+. Four out of six of my neighbors live in their detached homes alone. That is probably not typical, but I’d guess the number is 40% or so.
There are reasons I live alone and wouldn’t have it any other way.
MY wife left me when I lost my job in 2008. I made $54 an hour in tech couldn’t get a job after ..now I make $12 working at the airport and right back to where I started before I got married..such is life
IM alone but I’m back in aviation and hope to be flying soon. My relationship with God has never been better..and I know He is with me everyday so I never feel alone
I never married so I live alone. I always have loved being by myself but with retirement not so far away, I kinda wish I had a husband. Maybe it’s the “what if” syndrome.
That’s why men don’t marry. Why not just enjoy yourself with a FWB or two or three?
It just may be that the successful man is the man who is smart enough to not marry.
What is the up side of marriage for a man?
I’m sorry for you that you seem to enjoy wallowing in the woe is me world of men who rage on women. Every story you post has the same theme and your comments reflect a sad sorry man. Maybe find some new friends or a new hobby. Life isn’t horrible, there is more to it then lamenting the sorry story of your past. Jmho
A generation of single men without spouses or prospects: Trouble.
I lost my career in 2012 and even though I earned a graduate degree, nobody even wanted to talk to a White male over 50. So I became a yoga instructor. I don’t make squat, but I have a lot of fun. :-)
Family. But it so rarely works out that way. I get it.
Man cave.
Sisters, brothers, cousins, friends
This article was short and just said singleness has increased. Nothing about rage against women in this article or woe is me in my comment. I do find the decline of western civilization to be of interest. I’ve been observing it since I was a teenager back in the 80s. Feel free to skip my posts in the future if they’re not interesting to you.
That’s why men don’t marry. Why not just enjoy yourself with a FWB or two or three?
It just may be that the successful man is the man who is smart enough to not marry.
What is the up side of marriage for a man?
Having a wife who loves you when you are not all that “successful or smart,” and just as important if not more important is having kids.
When I was 20, I had no plans for kids. Plans change...I had 3. Now they are grown, and they are not only my kids but my friends. And I have 3 grand kids (so far)...Cannot fathom what life would have been or would be like now without having kids. Life was not always a 24/7 Christmas Newsletter, but definitely enriched by being married and having kids.
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