Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased

No 10413, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Some economists have argued that assortative mating between men and women has increased over the last several decades, thereby contributing to increased family income inequality. Sociologists have argued that educational homogamy has increased. We clarify the relation between the two and, using both the Current Population Surveys and the decennial Censuses/American Community Survey, show that neither is correct. The former is based on the use of inappropriate statistical techniques. Both are sensitive to how educational categories are chosen. We also find no evidence that the correlation between spouses' potential earnings has changed dramatically.

Keywords: assortative; mating (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 36 pages
Date: 2016-12
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

Published - published in: S. W. Polachek, K. Tatsiramos (eds.), Change at Home, in the Labor Market, and On the Job (Research in Labor Economics 48), Emerald Publisheing, 2020, 1 - 26

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Related works:
Chapter: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased* (2020)
Working Paper: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased (2017)
Working Paper: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased (2016)
Working Paper: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased (2014)
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