Differences in economic consequences of union dissolution across gender and ethnic groups in Belgium and Israel

Abstract

Given increased ethnic diversity in Europe and Israel in recent decades, coupled with high union dissolution rates, the study compares two case studies exemplifying diverse ethnic and immigrant societies–Belgium and Israel. We examine differences between ethnic, migrant, and gender groups in each country, and the intersections between them, regarding the economic outcome of union dissolution, as well as the effect of reemployment on these consequences. The study adds to the broad discussion on union dissolution and inequality in the dimensions of ethnicity, migration and gender and their intersections across countries. Growth models were applied to data from two longitudinal sources: the Data Warehouse on Labor Market and Social Security for Belgium and administrative data from tax authorities with the National Insurance Institute database for Israel. Results show that change in income upon separation is gendered and varies between ethnic/migrant groups in both countries. Cross-country differences were found in the effect of reemployment mainly among women, as it increases the income of minority-group women in Belgium but not Israel. The study emphasizes the importance of the intersectionality perspective in comparative studies, revealing the interplay between ethnicity, gender, and country in how ex-partners cope with the financial consequences of union dissolution.