Why Wait?: The Effect of Marriage and Childbearing on the Wages of Men and Women

• Autores: David S. Loughran, Julie M. (Julie Margaretta) Zissimopoulos
• Localización: Journal of human resources, ISSN 0022-166X, Vol. 44, Nº 2, 2009, págs. 326-349
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • We use data from the earlier and later cohorts of the NLSY to estimate the effect of marriage and childbearing on wages. Our estimates imply that marriage lowers female wages 2-4 percent in the year of marriage. Marriage also lowers the wage growth of men and women by about two and four percentage points, respectively. A first birth lowers female wages 2-3 percent, but has no effect on wage growth. Male wages are unaffected by childbearing. These findings suggest that early marriage and childbearing can lead to substantial decreases in lifetime earnings.