New Survey! Recession Brings Greater Commitment to Stay Married

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new survey reports that 38 percent of couples considering divorce or separation have now put off those plans due to the recession. National Marriage Week USA (www.nationalmarriageweekUSA.org) --February 7 to 14 -- releases "The Great Recession and Marriage," new research from the National Marriage Project at University of Virginia.  National Marriage Week USA is a new initiative as part of a decade-old international marriage week movement in 12 countries during the week leading up to Valentine's Day (http://marriage-weekinternational.com), and has built a new clearinghouse of hundreds of events nationwide to help people strengthen their marriages.

"Furthermore, 29 percent of all couples studied say that the Recession has deepened their commitment to their marriage, 58 percent say it had no effect, and 13 percent say it has not deepened their commitment," reports Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project's new survey about marriage and the economy. For full report, go to www.nationalmarriageweekusa.org/news/.

"We want to get the message out that marriage is beneficial for both personal and national economic stability and for raising more well-adjusted children," says Chuck Stetson, CEO of National Marriage Week USA. "Marriage breakdown costs taxpayers at least $112 billion a year.  Forty percent of all American babies are now born outside of marriage. We have an alarming drop in the marriage rate from 79 percent of all adults married in 1970 to 57 percent today. Combined with our 50 percent divorce rate, family breakdown is costly to the nation," continued Stetson, citing earlier research from the Institute for American Values.  "In these days of economic hardship, policy leaders and individual Americans need to get serious about our efforts to strengthen marriage."

"Marriage pays," says National Marriage Week USA executive director Sheila Weber.  "Research shows that marriage makes people happier, live longer, and build more economic security.  Children with married parents perform better in school; have less trouble with the law, less teen pregnancy and fewer issues with addiction."

"Most folks don't know where to go to get the help they need," said Weber." We've created a new clearinghouse of hundreds of marriage classes and conferences all around the country to help couples strengthen their own marriage, or to help others.  Locate an event near you at www.NationalMarriageWeekUSA.org."

SOURCE National Marriage Week USA