For love and/or Money

The Census Bureau reports that there is a sharp rise in unmarried opposite sex couples living together. As the economy has rendered more than 10 percent of Americans unemployed, saving money by housing with a boyfriend or girlfriend is becoming more popular. Fox News reports:

'It would be odd to say this year was emotionally different, so it's more likely practical considerations that are behind the increase in cohabitation,' said Rose Kreider, a family demographer at the Census Bureau who reviewed the numbers.

Her analysis, published Thursday in a 19-page census working paper previewing the 2010 data, shows that newly formed unmarried couples living together were more likely to have one partner unemployed, who was often male. They also typically lived in the South where poverty was more widespread and sometimes in larger households, such as with parents or other couples.

The economic downturn in recent years has affected many aspects of life for different people. The multiple statistics that the Census has provided exemplify how much life has changed. It is now much more practical to move in with a girlfriend or boyfriend to save money when more and more individuals are unemployed or have lost their old homes to foreclosure. Until the recession starts to significantly look up, America should expect more unmarried couples living together. Though, one may be able to look at the recession in a positive light because couples are closer to each other than ever before.