Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP8640
Authors: Katrine Løken; Kjell Erik Lommerud; Shelly Lundberg
Abstract: Norwegian registry data is used to investigate the location decisions of a full population cohort of young adults as they complete their education, establish separate households and form their own families. We find that the labor market opportunities and family ties of both partners affect these location choices. Surprisingly, married men live significantly closer to their own parents than do married women, even if they have children, and this difference cannot be explained by differences in observed characteristics. The principal source of excess female distance from parents in this population is the relatively low mobility of men without a college degree, particularly in rural areas. Despite evidence that intergenerational resource flows, such as childcare and eldercare, are particularly important between women and their parents, the family connections of husbands appear to dominate the location decisions of less-educated married couples.
Keywords: gender relations; geographic mobility; married couples; residence choice
JEL Codes: J12; J16; J61
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Husband's characteristics (D13) | Couple's location decisions (R23) |
| Family ties (J12) | Couple's location decisions (R23) |
| Fewer siblings (J12) | Greater proximity to parents (J12) |
| Education level of both partners (I24) | Joint location decisions (R30) |
| Married men live closer to parents than married women (J12) | Location decisions (R32) |
| Married men live less likely in different regions than married women (J12) | Location decisions (R32) |