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Social Norms, Labour Market Opportunities, and the Marriage Gap Between Skilled and Unskilled Women
[Economics and Identity]

Author

Listed:
  • Marianne Bertrand
  • Patricia Cortes
  • Claudia Olivetti
  • Jessica Pan

Abstract

In most of the developed world, skilled women marry at a lower rate than less skilled ones. We document heterogeneity across countries in how the marriage gap between skilled and unskilled women has evolved over time. As labour market opportunities for women have improved, the marriage gap has been growing in some countries but shrinking in others. We discuss the comparative statics of a theoretical model in which the (negative) social attitudes toward working women might contribute to the relatively lower marriage rate of skilled women and might also induce a non-monotonic relationship between their labour market prospects and their marriage outcomes. The model delivers predictions about how the skilled–unskilled marriage gap should react to changes in labour market opportunities across economies with more or less conservative attitudes toward working women. We verify the key predictions of this model in a panel of 26 developed countries, as well as in a panel of U.S. states.

Suggested Citation

  • Marianne Bertrand & Patricia Cortes & Claudia Olivetti & Jessica Pan, 2021. "Social Norms, Labour Market Opportunities, and the Marriage Gap Between Skilled and Unskilled Women [Economics and Identity]," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(4), pages 1936-1978.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:88:y:2021:i:4:p:1936-1978.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/restud/rdaa066
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Jiaqi, 2021. "Racial Difference in Child Penalty," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1382, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    2. Corekcioglu, Gozde & Francesconi, Marco & Kunze, Astrid, 2024. "Expansions in paid parental leave and mothers’ economic progress," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    3. Jason M. Lindo & Krishna Regmi & Isaac Swensen, 2020. "Stable Income, Stable Family," NBER Working Papers 27753, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Cai, Xiqian & Chen, Shuai & Cheng, Zhengquan, 2024. "The #MeToo Movement and Judges' Gender Gap in Decisions," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1453, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Hanna Virtanen & Mikko Silliman & Tiina Kuuppelomäki & Kristiina Huttunen, "undated". "Education, Gender, and Family Formation," Working Papers 340, Työn ja talouden tutkimus LABORE, The Labour Institute for Economic Research LABORE.
    6. Alexander Ahammer & Ulrich Glogowsky & Martin Halla & Timo Hener, 2023. "The Parenthood Penalty in Mental Health: Evidence from Austria and Denmark," CESifo Working Paper Series 10676, CESifo.
    7. Jessen, Jonas & Schweighofer-Kodritsch, Sebastian & Weinhardt, Felix & Berkes, Jan, 2023. "Separate Housework Spheres," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277659, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Cavapozzi, Danilo & Francesconi, Marco & Nicoletti, Cheti, 2024. "Dividing Housework between Partners: Individual Preferences and Social Norms," IZA Discussion Papers 17370, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Yasuda, Hiroki, 2023. "Employers’ stereotypes and taste-based discrimination," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    10. Patricia Palffy & Patrick Lehnert & Uschi Backes‐Gellner, 2023. "Social norms and gendered occupational choices of men and women: Time to turn the tide?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(4), pages 380-410, October.
    11. Anna Gudrun Ragnarsdottir & Paul McNamee & Edward C. Norton & Thorhildur Olafsdottir & Tinna Laufey Asgeirsdottir, 2024. "The Division of Labour Within the Household and Life Satisfaction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 1-22, August.
    12. Zhang, Shiying & Wang, Qing & Xiao, Yao & Zhang, Yilin, 2023. "Internet exposure during adolescence and age at first marriage," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Francesca Barigozzi & Caterina Gaggini & Natalia Montinari, 2024. "Gender equality norms across generations: Evidence from a representative sample," Working Papers wp1198, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    14. Wu, Jiaxian & Liu, Xiuyan & Li, Hao, 2024. "The subway and the gender wage gap," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    15. Lídia Farré & Cristina Felfe & Libertad González & Patrick Schneider, 2022. "Changing Gender Norms across Generations: Evidence from a Paternity Leave Reform," Working Papers 1310, Barcelona School of Economics.
    16. Oreffice, Sonia & Sansone, Dario, 2022. "Commuting to Work and Gender-Conforming Social Norms: Evidence from Same-Sex Couples," IZA Discussion Papers 15332, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Cai, Xiqian & Chen, Shuai & Cheng, Zhengquan, 2024. "The #Metoo Movement and Judges' Gender Gap in Decisions," IZA Discussion Papers 17115, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Lee Kyeongah, 2022. "The gender wage gap: evidence from South Korea," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-36, January.
    19. Hirokuni Iiboshi & Daikuke Ozaki & Yui Yoshii, 2023. "Child Care, Time Allocation, and the Life Cycle," Papers 2304.11531, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2024.
    20. Wei Si, 2022. "Higher education expansion and gender norms: evidence from China," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(4), pages 1821-1858, October.
    21. Oreffice, Sonia & Sansone, Dario, 2023. "Commuting to work and gender norms by sexual orientation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    22. Echeverría, Lucía & Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2023. "Commuting in dual-earner households: International gender differences with time use surveys," Nülan. Deposited Documents 3932, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales, Centro de Documentación.
    23. Kazuyasu Sakamoto & Yoko Morita, 2024. "Gender identity and market and non-market work of married women: evidence from Japan," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 511-533, June.

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