Lower earnings as well as the buffer role played by their partner’s earnings underlie this result. The loss of the income previously provided by a partner, the (potentially) increased difficulty of combining work and care commitments, the change in taxes paid and benefits received can lead to substantive income drops after a relationship ends. Frequent career interruptions help explain at least part of this observed gap: life and career events impact women’s income mobility and earnings profile in ways they tend not to for men.