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Age at Marriage and Marital Instability: Revisiting the Becker-Landes-Michael Hypothesis

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  • Lehrer, Evelyn L.

    (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Abstract

An early age at first marriage is known to be associated with a high risk of divorce. Yet it has been suggested that beyond a certain point, the relationship between age at marriage and marital instability may become positive, because as unmarried women begin to hear their biological clock tick, they may settle for matches far from the optimal. Analyses based on cycles 5 and 6 of the National Surveys of Family Growth show that the relationship between age at marriage and marital instability is strongly negative up to the late twenties, with a flattening of the curve thereafter.

Suggested Citation

  • Lehrer, Evelyn L., 2006. "Age at Marriage and Marital Instability: Revisiting the Becker-Landes-Michael Hypothesis," IZA Discussion Papers 2166, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2166
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joshua Goldstein, 1999. "The leveling of divorce in the united states," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 36(3), pages 409-414, August.
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    7. repec:ucp:bknber:9780226740867 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General

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