Research in Progress

“Too Young, Too Soon?  Timing, Matching and Outcomes in the U.S. Marriage Market”

Abstract: While early marriages are correlated with poor economic and marital outcomes, little is known of the causal effect of age at marriage on matching outcomes.  This paper investigates the impact of the age at first marriage on human capital accumulation decisions and matching patterns using changes in state-level legal age at marriage over the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.  In particular, it measures whether delaying a union may decrease the capacity of spouses to coordinate their human capital investments.  These legislative restrictions on the minimum legal age at marriage appear to have been effective at modifying the age at first marriage.  The results suggest that marrying later increases educational attainment of males and females.  Interestingly, and in accordance with some matching models, the results also indicate that marrying later leads to less specialization within the household.  Thus, men who marry at a later age marry more educated females, females with higher labor force attachment and who earn higher wages while they themselves work less.  Furthermore, delayed marriages also translate in better children outcomes. 

“Not Yet Married but Already Paying the Price: The Consequences of Granting Spousal Benefits to Cohabitating Partners”

Abstract: Since the early 1970s, Canadian provinces have granted the same alimony rights that are given to married individuals to spouses in a cohabitating relationship.  This paper estimates the effect of such a right on spousal labor supply.  The timing of these laws and the required duration of the cohabitation varied by geographical entity which provides sources of variation for the estimation.  I find that relationships are more likely to last longer once such rights are given.  Furthermore, female labor supply is reduced after spousal support rights have been granted.  This holds even across time for a given relationship.  No such effect can be found on married individuals, for whom the law had no impact.  I also highlight the importance of endogenous relationship formations: in relationships formed after the change was legislated, the effect of obtaining these rights was much less marked than for couples whose relationship was formed before the legal change.