Marital satisfaction during the retirement years - ARCHIVED

The years leading up to retirement may confront people with new challenges as well as opportunities. In addition to health, finances and several other factors, family relationships in general and satisfaction with marriage in particular greatly influence couples' experience of these years.

This article uses data from the 2001 and 1995 General Social Surveys (GSS) to examine older couples' (aged 50 to 74 years) perceptions of their relationship during retirement or the years leading to retirement. Specifically, the analysis looks at couples' employment or retirement status, each individual's relative contribution to household income and the presence of adult children in the home as they relate to the quality of their relationship.