Predicting the Divorce Decisions of Young Women Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth

Over recent decades, we have witnessed drastic changes in American family structure. Previous studies, such as those performed by Gary Becker (1991) and Manser and Brown (1980) have applied economic models to divorce and other family structure decisions. Building on the utility maximization analysis of Manser and Brown, as adapted by John Ermisch (1993), this study uses a logit regression analysis to predict divorce decisions for an all female sample of respondents, ages 28 to 36. Data are extracted from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth for this analysis. Economic theory predicts that the probability of divorce is directly related to one\u27s opportunity cost to being married. Using a woman\u27s estimated wage rate as a proxy for the economic portion of this opportunity cost, this study hypothesizes that the probability of a woman seeking divorce will increase with increases in her potential wage rate, holding total family income constant. The empirical results of the study support this hypothesis

Causes of Poverty in Chicago

Chicago is one city that has been hit hard by poverty. It has lost much business and industry, it has lost much of its middle-class population, and it has experienced an increased crime rate

Investing in the Future: an interview with Yuet Wei Wan

Recent graduate Yuet Wei Wan completed her Illinois Wesleyan career in 1993 with a 4.0 GPA and bachelor\u27s degreea in Mathematics and Economics. She then went on to embark on an exciting new career in investment banking

Getting a Competitive Edge Through Economics

Students who choose to major or minor in economics do not always do so because they are interested in becoming economists. Unlike degrees in accounting or nursing, the practical applications of an economics degree are not often obvious. Some of us choose economics simply because we enjoy it, and do not realize until later all of the avenues open to graduates with an economics background