For both men and women, a conscientious spouse has a positive impact on income, promotions and job satisfaction, according to a study of more than 4,000 people by Brittany C. Solomon and Joshua J. Jackson of Washington University.

For example, people with extremely conscientious spouses are 50pc more likely to get promoted than those with extremely unconscientious spouses. Conscientious spouses take on household tasks and create a satisfying home life, enabling employees to focus more on work; they also display pragmatic behaviors that their mates emulate, the researchers found.

(Source: Psychological Science)

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, November 17th, 2014