California residents may have read studies dealing with divorce trends based on demographic and economic factors, but little research has been done on how career choices can impact marriages. The career information website Zippia used U.S. Census data to study divorce rates among various occupations, and it found that serving in the U.S. military can be extremely hard on marriages. Military jobs occupied three of the top 10 places on the list of occupations most likely to divorce, and first-line military supervisors had the highest divorce rates of all.
First-line military supervisors organize personnel and lead operations in the field, and they have a divorce rate of 30 percent according to the study. Other military jobs with worryingly high divorce rates include tactical operations and air weapons personnel. Auto mechanics and logisticians were among the nonmilitary jobs with higher than average divorce rates.
Military personnel often marry young and move often, and this can place great strain on relationships. Long overseas deployments are a source of added pressure for military couples, and a 2016 study published in the Journal of Population Economics revealed that divorce rates among military personnel increase for each month spouses spend overseas. Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among soldiers returning from long deployments, and these issues can make it even more difficult for couples to deal with the pressures of military life.
Experienced family law attorneys may suggest alternative dispute resolution methods when traditional divorce negotiations have failed to produce an amicable agreement due to job-related stresses. Individuals who have demanding jobs often feel that their spouses do not understand the pressure that they work under, but the cooperative atmosphere of mediation may foster understanding and lead successful outcomes in situations where protracted disputes seemed likely.