Women Lose Income After a Move

To refuse to move for your husband’s career, she says, is still viewed as selfish for many women. But men who move to benefit their wives at their own loss remain oddities. Noonan says that women who are leery of a potential move should consider all of the pluses and minuses, even some that are hard to measure, such as feelings of isolation that can lead to depression, loss of a childcare network (if the couple has children), and loss of earning power, which can subtly disrupt the equilibrium of a marriage.

“Even today, when women are earning more money and are more likely to put an emphasis on their career, when it comes to marriage, gender roles are very entrenched,” Noonan says.