Full Citation

Title: Marriage Meets the Joneses: Relative Income, Identity, and Marital Status

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2011

ISBN:

ISSN:

DOI: 10.1353/jhr.2011.0021

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Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of relative income on marriage. Accounting flexibly for absolute income, the ratio between a man's income and a local reference group median is a strong predictor of marital status, but only for low-income men. Relative income affects marriage even among those living with a partner. A 10 percent higher reference group income is associated with a 2 percent reduction in marriage. We propose an identity model to explain the results.

Url: http://muse.jhu.edu/content/crossref/journals/journal_of_human_resources/v046/46.3.watson.html

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Authors: Watson, Tara; McLanahan, Sara

Periodical (Full): Journal of Human Resources

Issue: 3

Volume: 46

Pages: 482-517

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Family and Marriage, Gender, Labor Force and Occupational Structure

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