Cohabitation in Great Britain: Not for long, but here to stay

(2000) - John Ermisch, Marco Francesconi

Journal: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (Statistics in Society)
Link:: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-985X.00163
DOI:: 10.1111/1467-985X.00163
Links::
Tags:: #paper #Transition #Housing #Tenure
Cite Key:: [@ermischCohabitationGreatBritain2000]

Abstract

This paper uses a new source of data to study the dramatic increase in cohabiting unions in Great Britain. It analyses, in turn, entry into ®rst partnership, the stability of cohabiting unions and repartnering after dissolution of cohabitation. In excess of 70% of ®rst partnerships are now cohabitations, and these last a relatively short time before being either turned into marriage or dissolved. The shift to cohabitation as the dominant mode of ®rst partnership plays an important role in the delay of ®rst marriage and motherhood. The paper also investigates the factors that are associated with the outcome of cohabitations.

Notes

“A very important element in these changes has been the rise in cohabitation without legal marriage” (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000, p. 153)

“The National Child Development Study *NCDS) has full partnership histories, but they only pertain to the 1958 birth cohort.” (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000, p. 153)

“In this analysis, after reaching the age of 16 years, each person faces three options in each month. He or she can marry, cohabit outside marriage or remain single *i.e. without a partner).” (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000, p. 154)

“Long-term cohabitations are rare. It is the shift to cohabitation as the dominant mode of ®rst live-in partnership *more than 70% of ®rst partnerships) which is the primary contributor to the postponement of marriage, although partnerships are also being postponed in young people's lives, particularly for more recent cohorts reaching adulthood” (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000, p. 170)

“Cohabiting unions last only a short time before being converted into marriage or dissolving: their median length is about 2 years.” (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000, p. 170)

“Higher partner's earnings increase the chances of marriage and reduce the risk of dissolution” (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000, p. 170)

“Childbearing within cohabiting unions has become more common *about one in six unions involving never-married women), but these unions are much less likely to be converted into marriage and more likely to dissolve eventually than childless unions are.” (Ermisch and Francesconi, 2000, p. 170)