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DINKs, DEWKs & Co. Marriage, fertility and childlessness in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • BAUDIN, Thomas

    (EQUIPPE, Université de Lille 3, France; Université catholique de Louvain, IRES, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • DE LA CROIX, David

    (Université catholique de Louvain, CORE and IRES, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • GOBBI, Paula

    (Université catholique de Louvain, IRES, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

Abstract

We develop a theory of marriage and fertility, distinguishing the choice to have children from the choice of the number of children. The deep parameters of the model are identified from the 1990 US Census. We measure voluntary and involuntary childlessness, and explain why (1) single women are more often childless than married women but, when mothers, their fertility are almost similar; (2) childlessness exhibits a U- shaped relationship with education for both single and married; (3) the relationship between marriage rates and education is hump-shaped. We show how family patterns have been shaped by the rise in education and wage inequality, and by the shrinking gender wage gap.

Suggested Citation

  • BAUDIN, Thomas & DE LA CROIX, David & GOBBI, Paula, 2012. "DINKs, DEWKs & Co. Marriage, fertility and childlessness in the United States," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2012051, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvco:2012051
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fertility; childlessness; marriage; education; structural estimation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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