It may be hard to conceptualize initially, but the recent increase in the U.S. divorce rate may be a good thing for the country. Why? Because during times of economic decline, couples tend to forgo divorce as a poor economy often compounds the negative financial consequences that often accompany divorce. Additionally, because the national job market often suffers during times of economic decline, many couples who would otherwise seek a divorce remain married because the couples simply cannot afford to shoulder the costs associated with divorce, such as attorney's fees, or because one or both spouses would not have the economic wherewithal to sustain a separate household post-divorce. This notion is confirmed by the plummeting divorce rate that followed the economic downturn experienced by the U.S. in 2009. In fact, in 2009, the U.S. divorce rate reached a 40 year low.
Conversely, during times of economic recovery divorce rates rise with the growing economy. Thus, the nation's rising divorce rate may be a very strong indication that people are becoming more confident in their economic situation, which in turn is an indication that the national economy is improving. For once, the rising national divorce rate may be a sign of good things to come.