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Evaluating the pin money hypothesis: The relationship between women`s labour market activity, family income and poverty in Britain

Author

Listed:
  • Jane Waldfogel

    (School of Social Work, Columbia University, 622 W. 113th Street, New York, NY 10025, USA)

  • Susan Harkness

    (Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK (Fax:)

  • Stephen Machin

    (Department of Economics, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK (Fax:)

Abstract

In this paper we evaluate the hypothesis that the over-representation of women amongst the low paid is of little importance because women`s earnings account for only a small proportion of total family income. Data from the General Household Survey (GHS), together with attitudinal evidence from three cross-sectional data sources, indicate that women`s earnings are in fact an important and growing component of family income. The majority of the growth in the share of women`s earnings occurs as a result of changing family labour structures; women`s earnings are playing an increasingly important role in keeping their families out of poverty. JEL classification: J16; J31.

Suggested Citation

  • Jane Waldfogel & Susan Harkness & Stephen Machin, 1997. "Evaluating the pin money hypothesis: The relationship between women`s labour market activity, family income and poverty in Britain," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 10(2), pages 137-158.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:10:y:1997:i:2:p:137-158
    Note: Received April 9, 1996/Accepted August 22, 1996
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kimhi, Ayal, 2011. "Can Female Non-Farm Labor Income Reduce Income Inequality? Evidence from Rural Southern Ethiopia," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114756, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Carlos Gradin & Coral del Rio & Olga Canto, 2010. "Gender Wage Discrimination and Poverty in the EU," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 73-109.
    3. Dieckhoff, Martina & Gash, Vanessa & Mertens, Antje & Romeu Gordo, Laura, 2019. "Partnered women's contribution to household labor income: Persistent inequalities among couples and their determinants," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 85, pages 1-1.
    4. Karon Gush & James Scott & Heather Laurie, 2015. "Households’ responses to spousal job loss: ‘all change’ or ‘carry on as usual’?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 29(5), pages 703-719, October.
    5. Carlos Gradín & Olga Cantó & Coral del Río, 2006. "Poverty and Women’s Labor Market Activity: the Role of Gender Wage Discrimination in the EU," Working Papers 40, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    6. Li, Hongbin & Zhang, Junsen & Sin, Lai Ting & Zhao, Yaohui, 2006. "Relative earnings of husbands and wives in urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 412-431.
    7. Coral del Río & Carlos Gradín & Olga Cantó, 2006. "Pobreza y discriminación salarial por razón de género en España," Working Papers 0606, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Economía Aplicada.
    8. Lisa Kaida, 2015. "Ethnic Variations in Immigrant Poverty Exit and Female Employment: The Missing Link," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(2), pages 485-511, April.
    9. DeRiviere, Linda, 2008. "Have we come a long way? Using the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics to revisit the 'pin money' theory," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 2340-2367, December.
    10. Jinnat Ara & Dipanwita Sarkar, 2021. "Customized Credit Transfer and Women Empowerment: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials in Bangladesh," QuBE Working Papers 062, QUT Business School.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Women`s earnings · poverty · family income;

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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