Job Stress and Marital Satisfaction among Husbands in Dual-Earner Marriages

Abstract

Dual-earner couples are susceptible to job stress and marital dissatisfaction. Husbands tend to have higher job stress level and lower marital satisfaction level than wives in dual-earner couples. It is then important to consider the negative impacts of job stress and marital dissatisfaction on dual-earner couples. Previous studies have found that job stress is related to marital satisfaction among single-earner couples, but no such relationship has been found in the context of dual-earner couples. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between job stress and perceived marital satisfaction among husbands in dual-earner marriages. The study employed a quantitative approach with an associative design. 100 husbands from dual-earner marriages participated by completing the Job Stress Scale (Osipow & Spokane, 1998) and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (1993). Descriptive statistics and Pearson's Product Moment correlation were used to analyze the data. The result showed a significant negative relationship between job stress and marital satisfaction (r = -.673; p < .05), suggesting that higher job stress level is associated with decreased marital satisfaction. The study indicated the importance of job-related stress management to maintain marital satisfaction.