Exploring the Effect of Employment Instability for Relationship Satisfaction in Diverse Couples: Implications for Integrative Multi-couple Group Intervention

ABSTRACT This exploratory study examined race/ethnicity, income, and employment status (including underemployment specifically) as predictors of relational distress for members of a couple in a predominantly low-income, historically marginalized racial-ethnic (HMRE) background sample (N = 671 couples). Results of a dyadic multiple regression using structural equation modeling did not show an effect for underemployment on relational satisfaction, but effects for employment status and race differed significantly. Findings strengthen the demand for holistic and integrative approaches to multi-couple group career counseling and career development for disproportionately higher numbers of HMRE couples and families.