The next region explores the latest implications ones results for aggregate-top members of the family earnings inequality

We y so you can earnings inequality on the bits due to changes in monetary homogamy both before and after parenthood, and we disaggregate brand new section into the each of these pieces you to definitely was driven by changes in ladies’ employment.

Building for the past literature, i visited a couple criterion regarding motorists out of changes in couples’ economic homogamy ranging from 1968 and you may 2015. Very first, i predict one to alterations in spouses’ financial resemblance once parenthood often gamble a primary part from inside the describing increases within the couples’ monetary homogamy and also be mostly motivated from the alterations in ladies’ a job. Second, we predict you to definitely alterations in spouses’ monetary resemblance just before parenthood have a tendency to gamble an inferior character when you look at the describing grows inside couples’ monetary homogamy and therefore these changes would-be passionate far more from the shifts inside the women’s a career designs within beginning of the relationship and you will parenthood and you will smaller by changes in assortative mating given that mentioned in advance out company site of relationships. In the event the the standard is actually right, we will realize that changes in how parenthood shapes women’s financial contributions to help you group is a button rider of your own share from monetary homogamy to inequality all over parents.

Analysis, Products, and you will Strategies

While the found within the Dining table step 1, i use investigation regarding about three surveys so you can perform all of our analyses: the fresh 19682015 March Most recent People Studies (CPS); brand new 1960, 1970, and you will 1980 You.S. ); therefore the 19842014 Questionnaire of cash and you may Program Contribution (SIPP) (U.S. Census Bureau 2015). The latest CPS try our priining fashion from inside the financial homogamy prior to and you will immediately after parenthood. It is a corner-sectional domestic questionnaire which was commonly familiar with data change in the inequality in the usa. It is perfect to your study since it possess high products, has income information on both couples, which can be consistent round the a lengthy time span. The CPS boasts details about the age of the new eldest youngster regarding family, and this we used to proxy new timing out-of admission on parenthood.

Much of our very own CPS analyses rely on an example from married partners where in fact the wife was age 45 otherwise young and you will their eldest youngster was age 010 (N = 333,455 couples). The newest weighted CPS sample try user of the noninstitutionalized populace off heterosexual maried people in the usa in which neither mate is in the armed forces, this new spouse is years forty five otherwise younger, in addition to couple’s oldest child try many years 010. The new CPS information yearly generating measures throughout the prior season, and thus the earnings stated because of the partners which have a new baby correspond to earnings in the year ahead of childbirth. I control this particular aspect and make use of couples’ earnings in the 12 months prior to childbirth to measure pre-beginning homogamy and you will partners throughout the 10 years immediately following parenthood to help you scale article-delivery homogamy.

Method

The CPS data do not allow us to identify the time away from income relative to parenthood having people supposed further right back than simply 12 months in advance of basic delivery. The easiest way to develop the fresh pre-beginning homogamy level having CPS data, yet not, is to try to are most of the married childless lovers (comprehend the last row into the Table step 1). So it sensitiveness take to expands this new dimensions windows off earnings to help you far more than simply the entire year prior to delivery, where earnings could be impacted by maternity; in addition evaluation the fresh awareness in our brings about changes in options to the parenthood, due to the fact not every one of people partners commonly change to parenthood in then ages. Various other sensitivity analyses, i plus grow this new dimensions window out of blog post-beginning homogamy to provide people that have an earliest own child age 018. I restrict an element of the try in order to young mothers to reduce the fresh new inclusion regarding repartnered lovers, attrition due to divorce case, and earlier lovers with pupils from the family for example perhaps not advertised to your CPS roster.