Women shouldn't work if they want a happy marriage

Men are happier when women stay at home and do not work, according to new research.

The annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA) has revealed that husbands of women who work both full-time and part-time outside of the home are less happy than those with wives who do not work.

Associate Professor Roger Wilkins of the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research suggests that the issue is due to “economic downturn”. In areas where male unemployment is high, such as South Australia during the current manufacturing crisis, the problem is more prevalent.

“When you look at the literature out there there’s reasonable evidence that if the unemployment rate rises, particularly for men, it will have detrimental consequences for marital stability,” claims Wilkins.