Effect of Labor Participation on Transition of Marital State: Application of Markov Chain

Abstract

This study aims to measure the transition probabilities between marital states by employment status, using the transition matrix of a Markov chain. The data are derived from the Resident Registration System, Population Census, and Vital Registration System. It is found that for not only men but also women, the employment plays an important role to expedite the transition from the single state, the widowed state, or the divorced state to the married state, specifically in childbearing ages. The employment also plays a role to prevent the divorce. It can be strongly suggested from such results that job opportunities and job security should be strengthened to foster the early marriage and thereby the pro-natality.