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Notes -
I think the view in the past, which may or may not have lingered on into today, is that married men in a job have a stake. They're mature, they're settled down, and they won't rock the boat because they need to provide for their family. A single guy is generally younger and can up and leave if they're not happy, because they don't have financial obligations tying them down.
In the past, when firms valued employee loyalty, having a visible sign of commitment was valuable. Today, I think it's expected or at least tolerated that you'll move every few years if you're in the type of job where going to a new employer means a promotion and a raise. Sticking around at the same level is seen as being not up to scratch. And so I imagine single people of both sexes are seen as exploitable; maybe they'll leave after a couple of years, but during those couple of years you can extract the maximum value out of them by asking them to work longer hours and take on more responsibility, as they don't have "spouse and kids I need to get home to".
For management, I wonder if it still is a sign of maturity and commitment, where you want them to stick around if they are being productive.
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