Sviatschi, Maria MicaelaHwang, Joseph Y.2025-07-282025-07-282025-04-10https://theses-dissertations.princeton.edu/handle/88435/dsp01wh246w573The determinants influencing divorce rates include a complex range of internal and external factors that range from sociodemographic differences to policy reforms. From changes in age, income, education, unemployment rates, or religion, divorce rates have always been an area of uncertainty in terms of which factors are most significant. Current literature surrounding divorce and its determinants is fairly extensive but not fully encompassing. Though there are general agreements in terms of the effects of sociodemographic factors and policy reforms on divorce rates, the consensus on income and economic factors such as unemployment rates remains inconclusive. How has society changed since the 1990s? Do societal perceptions of marriage remain the same? How does the economic independence of wives impact husbands? Questions such as these remain fully unanswered, making policy and applications difficult. This thesis employs various methods such as time series and fixed effect regressions to analyze the relationship of wife’s income and unemployment rates at the state and national level. Elements of gender and race are also included to provide further insight and categorization. By analyzing data from 2000 to 2024, the results from the exploration yield negative and positive statistically significant relationships between wife’s income and unemployment rates, indicating shifts towards egalitarianism and the importance of state-level analysis. I hope that my research makes clear the relevance of regional factors, income, and unemployment rates in a more present day context.en-USPrinceton University Senior Theses