One of the economic calculations I learned many years ago was about two-income families with young …
One of the economic calculations I learned many years ago was about two-income families with young kids. If both parents work, and the kids are too young to be self-sufficient, that requires some kind of day care, which can be expensive. Plus. commuting costs something, too, including the extra cost of maintaining and insuring a second vehicle as well as other costs of ownership. There's also other expenses and tax implications in a two-income family. In short, it turns out that the total after-tax disposable income for a dual earner family can end up being less than if just one person, the better-paid one, works, and the other takes care of the kids and handles other family things. Which brings me to my question: how many people quit or lost a job and discovered that they were better off and happier when one person worked than when both? I'd like to see some studies about that.
Original discussionWhere have all America’s workers gone?110 source comments · at import