Full Citation
Title: Within-Couple Age Differences and Marital Sorting: Earnings, Ability and Appearance
Citation Type: Conference Paper
Publication Year: 2011
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Abstract: This paper analyses how individual characteristics vary with within-couple age differences. Earnings analysis of prime-aged married couples in the 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 Decennial Censuses finds that male earnings are lower for men in differently-aged couples compared to similarly-aged couples while female earnings increase with within-couple age difference. These patterns are true both for marriages between older women and younger men and between older men and younger women. They are also robust across all four Census years.We offer an explanation for these earnings patterns that assumes that on average people prefer similarly aged spouses. Individuals who search and match outside similarly-aged partners therefore tend to be negatively selected. Women in differently-aged couples have higher earnings not because of positive selection, but because their effort increases in response to partnering with a lower earning man.We test this explanation using three measures: average earnings in occupation in the Census data, cognitive skills assessments from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort (NLSY79), and measures of physical appearance from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). None of the results provide any support of positive selection into differently-aged couples by either men or women, regardless of whether the older spouse is male or female. The point estimates overwhelmingly suggest negative selection on all of these characteristics, although statistical significance varies by outcome and sample.
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Authors: McKinnish, Terra; Mansour, Hani
Conference Name: Population Association of America
Publisher Location: Washington, D.C.
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Family and Marriage, Other
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