Working Paper: NBER ID: w24907
Authors: Ariel J. Binder; David Lam
Abstract: Building on standard marital matching models, we show that a variety of underlying social preferences about a given trait all generate positive assortative matching on that trait, and hence the same distribution of spousal trait differences in equilibrium. Applying this result to U.S. Census and administrative earnings data, we find that simple models of assortative matching can very closely replicate the observed distribution of spousal earnings differences, in which very few wives out-earn their husbands. We conclude that the distribution of spousal earnings differences in the U.S. provides little information about the existence and implications of a male breadwinner norm.
Keywords: marriage; assortative matching; gender norms; spousal earnings
JEL Codes: D10; J12; J16
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Beckerian marriage model generates matching patterns (D13) | social norms about husbands being taller and earning more than their wives (J31) |
| positive assortative matching on height (J79) | few husbands being shorter than their wives (J12) |
| observed skewness in spousal earnings differences (J31) | does not imply a male breadwinner norm (D13) |
| discontinuity in the distribution of wife's share of total earnings at the 50% threshold (J12) | couples may manipulate their earnings (J31) |