These 7 Jobs Have the Highest Divorce Rates | Men's Health Magazine Australia

These 7 Jobs Have the Highest Divorce Rates

You hear people blame their divorce on a myriad of things: infidelity, lack of communication, or the sense that they’re no longer in love with their partner. Career choice doesn’t usually enter the conversation, but maybe it should. Statistician Nathan Yau used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Five-Year American Community Survey to tease out which occupations are tied to the highest divorce rates, and he uncovered some pretty interesting trends.

Before we reveal what he found, know that the average divorce rate for Americans is much lower than what’s often cited. While you’ve likely heard that 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, that’s not actually the case. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the real number is about 30.8 per cent, and that includes first, second, and even tenth marriages. When it comes to first marriages, it’s probably more accurate to say that about 20 to 25 per cent of them end in divorce.

With that in mind, Yau’s analysis of the link between divorce rate and profession is especially intriguing, because it seems that people who’ve opted for certain careers have a much higher than average chance of getting divorced. Here’s a look at which occupations are linked to a high divorce rate, as well as some theories about why these jobs might put your marriage at risk.

GAMING MANAGERS

Topping the charts for the profession with the highest divorce rate at 52.9 percent are gaming managers who are hired by casinos and companies operating game rooms to interact with customers and make sure they have a fun and memorable experience.

“They work in an area that involves exposure to alcohol and interact with lots of people in a very celebratory environment, which could result in someone straying,” says Patricia M. Barbarito, a managing partner at Einhorn Harris law firm in New Jersey.

BARTENDERS

It may not be a big surprise that number two on the list are bartenders, at 52.7 percent, since they work in a similar environment to gaming managers. Their job entails late nights, lots of alcohol, and interaction with many different people. Plus, bartenders often rely on tips, so they have ample incentive to be friendly (and even flirtatious) with customers. Amy Saunders, a family law and divorce attorney based just outside Boston, says that it can be a recipe for relationship disaster. 

“Bartenders listen to other people’s problems, which can open a door to an affair,” says Saunders. “When you complain about your spouse, opportunity for an affair is signaled to whoever listens, aka the bartender.” Another issue: “Most bartenders can’t leave until their last customer leaves, so they often have very little control of their schedules,” says family law attorney Allison Maxim. “It’s hard to plan time alone with your spouse with such an inconsistent schedule.”

GAMING SERVICES WORKERS

As with gaming managers, gaming service workers have a high divorce rate: 50.7 per cent to be exact. Barbarito’s take is that any profession that puts you in a casino can lead to marital problems, thanks to the prevalence of alcohol plus the degree of interaction you have with gamblers. Irregular hours—including night shift work—might also pose a problem, because it makes it difficult to have a consistent life at home.

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

While flying across the globe might seem like a glamorous gig, it’s also an occupation that has a 50.5 percent divorce rate.

Flight attendants are away often, meet many potential [affair] candidates, and may have a hard time scheduling alone time with their spouse, due to their travel schedule, says Saunders.

 

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

Jobs in construction might not strike you as ones that point to marital trouble, but rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders have a 50.1 percent divorce rate, and extruding and drawing machine setters, operator, and tenders have a 49.6 percent chance of getting divorced.

Barbarito’s explanation is that these jobs often require you to clock in at odd hours. “What strikes me about these professions is that there appears to be shift work involved,” says Barbarito. “One could speculate that the lack of a routine or schedule makes it difficult to stay connected and therefore to remain married.” 

SWITCHBOARD OPERATORS

Although robots have, in fact, put many human switchboard operators out of business, they’re hardly extinct. Many hospitals and big corporations still use people to help guide phone calls to the right department or person. But why does this job have a 49.7 percent divorce rate?

No one knows for sure. “Switchboard operatosr interact on the telephone with many people, and I wonder if those conversations could lead to relationships being developed,” says Barbarito.

TELEMARKETERS

Saunders believes this job has a 49.7 percent divorce rate largely because of the type of stress they endure.

“Telemarketers have apparently drawn the short straw in life: They get to listen to people all day who hang up on them, yell at them, and be discourteous, then they have to go home and be kind in their marriage,” says Saunders. “Work does spill over into life, and it can either build you up or break you down. Many debt collectors also get divorced, I think for similar reasons.” 

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health.

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