Dual Earning Couples: Trends of Change in Great Britain

Abstract

Past research on dual career couples has tended to focus upon qualitative studies of a proportionately small number of elite partners. This study is concerned with the social incidence of dual earning partnerships in the different social strata in contemporary UK. Census data and other demographic sources indicate that career-like patterns of labour market participation by females are much more common among women of upper-middle and middle class social origins and destination. Rising levels of education among younger women entering the labour force suggest that such career-like paths will become increasingly common among the more privileged social groups. Social class inequality may be being intensified by rising female employment participation as dual career patterns become much more common among middle class and upper-middle class couples while working class men and women suffer relatively disadvantaged labour market positions.