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Recession Sparks Dating Boom

By Drew Nelles, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 5, 2009 4:35 PM CDT

(Newser) – Interest in online matchmaking and dating events is up as recession-plagued singles seek stability, the AP reports. OkCupid.com and eHarmony.com both report huge spikes in membership, and attendance at Chicago’s Nerds at Heart has doubled. "With such a tenuous climate right now, I think people are looking for stability in their partner," a bar manager says. "I think it's less haphazard dating and more pointed dating."

Although financial worries strain established relationships, and not all bachelors are flocking to the altar right now, recessions are “a reminder that you need to look for the important things in life," an eHarmony rep says. The site has found that interest increases after tragic or difficult global events, and with the recession dragging on, dating behavior could keep changing accordingly.

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (2)]

Matt Bergstrom, left, and Emily Hilleren, center, play board games at the Holiday Club during a singles event, Nerds at Heart, in Chicago, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Stacie Freudenberg)

Hosts Bathsheba Birman, left, and Julia Borcherts split up the entrance fees for the singles event, Nerds at Heart, at the Holiday Club in Chicago, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Stacie Freudenberg)

Attendance at Nerds at Heart, where mostly young professionals pay $25 for a drink and trivia and board games, was more than double expectations in April and has stayed high since. (AP Photo/Stacie Freudenberg)

Lisa Lilly, left, and Victor Tirumalai joke as they play board games at the Holiday Club during a singles event, Nerds at Heart, in Chicago, Thursday, July 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Stacie Freudenberg)

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They're looking for something that's genuine in a world that isn't very secure. With headlines full of why you can't trust established institutions that you thought you could ... people are re-examining their own values. - Bathsheba Birman, event organizer

I figured this was the best possible time to explore other options since people's lives have been turned topsy turvy. I think everyone is more open to bucking convention given that 'the usual' has gone out the window. - Mili Thomas, single

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