LOWERING STANDARDS TO WED? SPOUSE QUALITY, MARRIAGE, AND LABOR MARKET RESPONSES TO THE GENDER WAGE GAP

摘要

This paper examines the effect of the female-to-male wage ratio, "relativewage," onwomen's spouse quality, marriage, and labor supply over three decades. Exploiting task-based demand shifts as a shock to relative pay, I find that a higher relative wage (a) increases the quality of women's mates, as measured by higher spousal education; (b) reduces marriagewithout substitution to cohabitation; and (c) raises women's hours of work. These effects are consistent with a model in which a higher relative wage increases the minimum nonpecuniary benefits ("quality") women require from a spouse and therefore reduce marriage among low-quality husbands.