Final answer:
Recent statistics suggest that marriage and/or cohabitation improve the economic situation mostly for whites and Hispanics, with cohabitation leading to delayed marriages and influencing economic situations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marriage and/or cohabitation appear to improve the economic situation of whites and Hispanics according to recent statistics. While the unemployment rates for African-Americans have been substantially higher than for other groups, the gaps have diminished in the 1990s, and cohabitation has led to an increased number of men and women delaying marriage, thus indirectly influencing economic situations.
Marriage has traditionally been linked to economic benefits as it can lead to dual-income households, larger economies of scale, and potentially better social and financial stability. Studies also indicate that cohabitation may not significantly impact the success of marriage but may contribute to delaying it, thus affecting the economic situation of individuals involved.
It is important to note that there are cultural and societal factors that may influence the decision to marry or cohabit, as well as the economic outcomes of these decisions, such as education level, age at marriage, and racial discrimination in the labor market.