For love or for money? A study of the marriage wage premium in Colombia
Main Article Content
Keywords
Married, non-married, Wage Gap, Marriage, Wage Premium, Colombia
Abstract
Being married may raise worker productivity and increase the probability of remaining in a job and, as consequence, obtaining a wage premium. Yet, this effect may be different for males and females. In developing countries, such as Colombia, the premium may be larger than in developed countries due to the differing social norms and labor market structures. Using cross-sectional data from Colombian Household Surveys, this paper examines the marriage wage premium and its evolution in Colombia both at the aggregate level and by gender. We find a marriage wage premium for both male and female populations; this wage premium is explained by the greater human capital endowment in married people and to employer favoritism due to the “social norms” which consider being married an appropriate behavior and reward it.
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References
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Aigner, D., & Glen, C. (1977). Statistical theories of discrimination in labor markets. Industrial and labor relations review, 175-187.
Altonji, J., & Blank, R. (1999). Race and gender in the labor market. Handbook of labor economics, 3143-3258.
Antonovics, K., & Town, R. (2004). Are All the Good Men Married? Uncovering the Sources of the Marital Wage Premium. Gender in policy and the labor market, 94 (2), 317-321.
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Bardasi, E., & Taylor, M. (2008). Marriage and Wages: A Test of the Specialization Hypothesis. Economica (75), 569–591.
Becker, G. (1971). Economics of discrimination. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Becker, G. (1981). A treatise on the family. Cambridge, Estados Unidos: Harvard University Press.
Becker, G. S. (1985). Human capital, effort, and the sexual division of labor. Journal or Labor Economics, 3, 33-58.
Bellas, M. (1992). The effects of marital status and wives’ employment on the salaries of faculty men: The (house) wife bonus. Gender and Society, 609-622.
Birch, E. R., & Miller, P. W. (2006). How Does Marriage Affect the Wage of Men in Australia? The Economic Record, 82 (257), 150-164.
Blinder, A. (1973). Wage discrimination: reduced form and structural estimates. The Journal of Human Resources, 437-455.
Casale, D., & Posel, D. (2010). The Male Marital Earnings Premium in the Context of Bride Wealth Payments: Evidence from South Africa. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 211-230.
Chun, H., & Lee, I. (2001). Why do married men earn more: Productivity or Marriage Selection? Economic Inquiry, 307-319.
Datta Gupta, N., Smith, N., & Stratton, L. S. (2007). Is Marriage Poisonous? Are Relationships Taxing? An Analysis of the Male Marital Wage Differential in Denmark. Southern Economic Journal, 412-433.
Dougherty, C. (2006). The Marriage Earnings Premium as a Distributed Fixed Effect. The Journal Of Human Resources, 433-443.
Gamboa, L. F., & Zuluaga, B. (2013). Is There a Motherhood Penalty? Decomposing the Family Wage Gap in Colombia. Journal of Family & Economic Issues, 34, 421-434.
García, A., & Winter, C. (2006). Gender and ethnicity differentials in school attainment and labor market earnings in Ecuador. World Development, 289-307.
Geist, C. (2005). Who Enjoys a Wage Premium for Marriage? A Comparison of 15 Nations. International Sociological Association Research Committee 28 (RC28) on Social Stratification and Mobility Los Angeles Meeting, 2005. Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research.
Ginther, D. K., & Zavodny, M. (2001). Is the male marriage premium due to selection? The effect of shotgun weddings on the return to marriage. Journal of Populations Economics, 313-328.
Gray, J. S. (1997). The Fall In Men's Return to Marriage: Declining Productivity Or Changing Selection? The Journal Of Human Resources, 32 (3), 481-504.
Greenhalgh, C. (1980). Male-Female Wage Differentials in Great Bretain: Is Marriage an Equal Oportunity? Economic Journal, 751-755.
Hersch, J., & Stratton, L. S. (2000). Household specialization and the male marriage wage premium. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 54 (1), 78-94.
Hidalgo, A. (1999). Educación y rentas: una aplicación al mercado de economistas. Ciudad Real, España: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha.
Hill, M. (1979). The Wage Effect of Marital Status and Children. The Journal of Human Resources, 14 (4), 579-594.
Hughes, J., & Maurer-Fazzio, M. (2002). Effects of Marriage, Education, and Occupation on Female/Male Wage Gap in China. Pacific Economic Review, 137-156.
Jacobsen, J., & Rayack, W. (1996). Do men whose wives work really earn less? American Economic Review, 268-273.
Korenman, S., & Neumark, D. (1991). Does Marriage Really Men More Productive? The Journal of Human Resources, 26 (2), 282-307.
Korenman, S., & Newmark, D. (1990). Marriage, Motherhood, and Wages. The Journal of Human Resources, 233-255.
Lincoln, A. E. (August de 2008). Gender, Productivity, and the Marital Wage Premium. Journal of Marriage and Family, 840-814.
Loh, E. (1996). Productivity differences and the marriage wage premium for white males. Journal of Human Resources, 31, 566-589.
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Ñopo, H. (2008). Matching as a tool to decompose wage gaps. Review of Economics and Statistics, 90 (2), 290-299.
Ñopo, H., Saavedra, J., & Torero, M. (2004). Ethnicity and Earnings in Urban Peru. IZA Discussion paper series. Oaxaca, R. (1973). Male-Female wage differentials in urban labor markets. International economic review, 693-709.
Olarte, L. & Peña, X. (2010). El Efecto de la Maternidad Sobre Los Ingresos Femeninos. Revista Ensayos Sobre Política Económica. 28(63), 190-231.
Phelps, E. (1972). The statistical theory of racism and sexism. American Economic Review, 659-661.
Profamilia. (2010). Profamilia. Obtenido de http://www.profamilia.org.co/encuestas/Profamilia/Profamilia/images/stories/documentos/Principales_indicadores.pdf
Richardson, K. (2000). The evolution of the marriage premium in the Swedish labor market 1968-1991. Working Paper Series, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labor Market and Education Policy.
Rodgers, W. M., & Stratton. (2010). Male marital wage differentials: training, personal characteristics, and fixed effects. Economic Inquiry, 722-742.
Seitz, S. (2009). Accounting for Racial Differences in Marriage and Employment. Journal of Labor Economics, 27 (3), 385-437.
Social Trends Institute & Child Trends. (2014). World Family Map 2014. Child Trends.
Child Trends. (2013). Family World Map 2013. Child Trends.
Aigner, D., & Glen, C. (1977). Statistical theories of discrimination in labor markets. Industrial and labor relations review, 175-187.
Altonji, J., & Blank, R. (1999). Race and gender in the labor market. Handbook of labor economics, 3143-3258.
Antonovics, K., & Town, R. (2004). Are All the Good Men Married? Uncovering the Sources of the Marital Wage Premium. Gender in policy and the labor market, 94 (2), 317-321.
Arrow, K. (1972). Models of job discrimination. New York: Lexington Books.
Bardasi, E., & Taylor, M. (2008). Marriage and Wages: A Test of the Specialization Hypothesis. Economica (75), 569–591.
Becker, G. (1971). Economics of discrimination. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Becker, G. (1981). A treatise on the family. Cambridge, Estados Unidos: Harvard University Press.
Becker, G. S. (1985). Human capital, effort, and the sexual division of labor. Journal or Labor Economics, 3, 33-58.
Bellas, M. (1992). The effects of marital status and wives’ employment on the salaries of faculty men: The (house) wife bonus. Gender and Society, 609-622.
Birch, E. R., & Miller, P. W. (2006). How Does Marriage Affect the Wage of Men in Australia? The Economic Record, 82 (257), 150-164.
Blinder, A. (1973). Wage discrimination: reduced form and structural estimates. The Journal of Human Resources, 437-455.
Casale, D., & Posel, D. (2010). The Male Marital Earnings Premium in the Context of Bride Wealth Payments: Evidence from South Africa. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 211-230.
Chun, H., & Lee, I. (2001). Why do married men earn more: Productivity or Marriage Selection? Economic Inquiry, 307-319.
Datta Gupta, N., Smith, N., & Stratton, L. S. (2007). Is Marriage Poisonous? Are Relationships Taxing? An Analysis of the Male Marital Wage Differential in Denmark. Southern Economic Journal, 412-433.
Dougherty, C. (2006). The Marriage Earnings Premium as a Distributed Fixed Effect. The Journal Of Human Resources, 433-443.
Gamboa, L. F., & Zuluaga, B. (2013). Is There a Motherhood Penalty? Decomposing the Family Wage Gap in Colombia. Journal of Family & Economic Issues, 34, 421-434.
García, A., & Winter, C. (2006). Gender and ethnicity differentials in school attainment and labor market earnings in Ecuador. World Development, 289-307.
Geist, C. (2005). Who Enjoys a Wage Premium for Marriage? A Comparison of 15 Nations. International Sociological Association Research Committee 28 (RC28) on Social Stratification and Mobility Los Angeles Meeting, 2005. Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research.
Ginther, D. K., & Zavodny, M. (2001). Is the male marriage premium due to selection? The effect of shotgun weddings on the return to marriage. Journal of Populations Economics, 313-328.
Gray, J. S. (1997). The Fall In Men's Return to Marriage: Declining Productivity Or Changing Selection? The Journal Of Human Resources, 32 (3), 481-504.
Greenhalgh, C. (1980). Male-Female Wage Differentials in Great Bretain: Is Marriage an Equal Oportunity? Economic Journal, 751-755.
Hersch, J., & Stratton, L. S. (2000). Household specialization and the male marriage wage premium. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 54 (1), 78-94.
Hidalgo, A. (1999). Educación y rentas: una aplicación al mercado de economistas. Ciudad Real, España: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha.
Hill, M. (1979). The Wage Effect of Marital Status and Children. The Journal of Human Resources, 14 (4), 579-594.
Hughes, J., & Maurer-Fazzio, M. (2002). Effects of Marriage, Education, and Occupation on Female/Male Wage Gap in China. Pacific Economic Review, 137-156.
Jacobsen, J., & Rayack, W. (1996). Do men whose wives work really earn less? American Economic Review, 268-273.
Korenman, S., & Neumark, D. (1991). Does Marriage Really Men More Productive? The Journal of Human Resources, 26 (2), 282-307.
Korenman, S., & Newmark, D. (1990). Marriage, Motherhood, and Wages. The Journal of Human Resources, 233-255.
Lincoln, A. E. (August de 2008). Gender, Productivity, and the Marital Wage Premium. Journal of Marriage and Family, 840-814.
Loh, E. (1996). Productivity differences and the marriage wage premium for white males. Journal of Human Resources, 31, 566-589.
Maasoumi, E., Millimet, D. L., & Dipanwita, S. (2009). Who Benefits from Marriage? Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 71-104.
Mincer, J. (1974). Schooling, Experience, and earnings. NBER Press.
Nock, S. (2005). Marriage as a Public Issue. Marriage and Child Wellbeing, 15 (2), 13-32.
Ñopo, H. (2008). Matching as a tool to decompose wage gaps. Review of Economics and Statistics, 90 (2), 290-299.
Ñopo, H., Saavedra, J., & Torero, M. (2004). Ethnicity and Earnings in Urban Peru. IZA Discussion paper series. Oaxaca, R. (1973). Male-Female wage differentials in urban labor markets. International economic review, 693-709.
Olarte, L. & Peña, X. (2010). El Efecto de la Maternidad Sobre Los Ingresos Femeninos. Revista Ensayos Sobre Política Económica. 28(63), 190-231.
Phelps, E. (1972). The statistical theory of racism and sexism. American Economic Review, 659-661.
Profamilia. (2010). Profamilia. Obtenido de http://www.profamilia.org.co/encuestas/Profamilia/Profamilia/images/stories/documentos/Principales_indicadores.pdf
Richardson, K. (2000). The evolution of the marriage premium in the Swedish labor market 1968-1991. Working Paper Series, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labor Market and Education Policy.
Rodgers, W. M., & Stratton. (2010). Male marital wage differentials: training, personal characteristics, and fixed effects. Economic Inquiry, 722-742.
Seitz, S. (2009). Accounting for Racial Differences in Marriage and Employment. Journal of Labor Economics, 27 (3), 385-437.
Social Trends Institute & Child Trends. (2014). World Family Map 2014. Child Trends.
Child Trends. (2013). Family World Map 2013. Child Trends.