Graduated work incentives and how they affect marital stability: the Canadian evidence

Abstract

This paper examines how NIT payments might destabilize marriages by enhancing the economic quality of alternatives to married life. Data from Canada's MINCOME experiment indicates that the various levels of GAI support did have a stabilizing influence on its participants' marriages. This suggests that the nature of a support programme may influence the stability of low-income households, thereby making a much needed dent in the cycle of marital dissolution.