The Employment Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Differences by gender, socioeconomic status, and type of violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent globally, and while the wellbeing and health consequences of IPV are well-documented, research on the impact of IPV on labor market outcomes is scarce. This paper investigates differences in the effects of five distinct forms of IPV on job loss and time off work and whether there are differences by gender and socioeconomic status. Six survey sweeps of a general population survey, the Crime Survey for England and Wales from 2008 to 2023 are utilized, yielding a sample of 3,840 victim-survivors exposed to IPV in the past 12 months. We examine victim-survivors’ risks of job loss and time off from work using weighted logistic regression analyses. Results show that time of work was more likely for women, and men were more likely to lose their job when different violence experiences were accounted for. Lower and intermediate occupational groups had higher risk of job loss. Job loss and time off work were more likely when victim-survivors had experienced stalking, controlling and coercive behavior, threats, and sexual violence, and when they experienced multiple types of violence. Physical violence increased time off work risk, but not job loss. In conlusion, IPV has a significant and detrimental impact on victim-survivors’ labor market outcomes. This is elevated for people with lower occupational statuses, indicating a circle of economic precarity and IPV.