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Earnings Inequality, Labour Supply And Schooling In Husband–Wife Families

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  • John Pencavel

Abstract

This paper describes the association between market work and earnings inequality across families over the life cycle and over calendar time with special attention to the different experiences of college‐educated and high‐school‐educated people. A concise and effective accounting framework is developed that allows for an assessment of the effect of the growing market employment of married women on family earnings inequality. Applying this framework to pseudo‐panel data from successive Current Population Surveys indicates that the increase in wives' employment has diminished the growth in family earnings inequality especially for well‐educated couples. Inferences about the level and change in earnings inequality depend on the degree of labor market attachment of the people studied especially in the case of wives.

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  • John Pencavel, 2007. "Earnings Inequality, Labour Supply And Schooling In Husband–Wife Families," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 83-124, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:buecrs:v:59:y:2007:i:2:p:83-124
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0307-3378.2007.00256.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Carr, Michael D., 2011. "Work hours and wage inequality: Evidence from the 2004 WERS," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 417-427, August.
    2. Michael Quinn & Stephen Rubb, 2011. "Spouse Overeducation and Family Migration: Evidence from the US," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 36-45, March.

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