Evolution of the Marriage Earnings Gap for Women
American Economic Review
vol. 106,
no. 5, May 2016
(pp. 252-56)
Abstract
Using Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) panels linked to Social Security earnings records, we examine the earnings gap associated with marriage for cohorts of women born between 1936 and 1975. We compare ordinary least squares and fixed-effect estimates. We find that among women who work, the marital earnings gap has all but disappeared in fixed-effects estimates for recent birth cohorts. In fact, among women without children, married women earn more than single women, implying a diminished role for specialization when children are not present. In contrast, the motherhood earnings gap remains large even for recent birth cohorts.Citation
Juhn, Chinhui, and Kristin McCue. 2016. "Evolution of the Marriage Earnings Gap for Women." American Economic Review, 106 (5): 252-56. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20161120Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
- J71 Labor Discrimination