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Title: Can Rising Inequality Explain Aggregate Trends in Marriage? Evidence from U.S. States, 1977-2005

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2009

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Abstract: We investigate the hypothesis that rising inequality accounts for decreases in the U.S. aggregate marriage hazard since 1970. Despite confirming previous findings that inequality accounts for much of the decrease in marriage among younger adults before 1990, we show that inequality has a theoretically ambiguousand empirically positiveeffect on marriage among older persons. Subsequent estimates indicate that increases in inequality cannot account for broader trends in marriage, especially after inequality decelerated post-1990. Other hypotheses also struggle to explain the trend, but some evidence supports an alternate theory involving uncertainty.JEL codes: J12, D31Keywords: inequality, marriage, uncertainty

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Authors: Drewianka, Scott; Coughlin, Tristan

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Institution: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

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Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Family and Marriage, Labor Force and Occupational Structure

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