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Human Capital Investments, Differential Fecundity, and the Marriage Market

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  • Zhang, Hanzhe

    (Michigan State University, Department of Economics)

Abstract

This paper provides a model that can explain why women go to college at higher rates but have lower average incomes than men in the US and other countries. Differential fecundity and a general-equilibrium marriage-market effect form the basis of our explanation. The model can also explain the relationships between age at marriage and personal midlife income for men and for women as well as the relationship between age at marriage and spousal midlife income for women. Our explanations for these facts are supported by empirical evidence and calibration results.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Hanzhe, 2018. "Human Capital Investments, Differential Fecundity, and the Marriage Market," Working Papers 2018-7, Michigan State University, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:ris:msuecw:2018_007
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    Cited by:

    1. He, Simin & Wu, Jiabin & Zhang, Hanzhe, 2021. "Experimental and Noncooperative Analyses of Decentralized Matching with Transfers," Working Papers 2021-2, Michigan State University, Department of Economics.
    2. Gershoni, Naomi & Low, Corinne, 2021. "The power of time: The impact of free IVF on Women’s human capital investments," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    3. Zhang, Hanzhe, 2020. "A Marriage-Market Perspective on Risk-Taking and Career Choices: Theory and Evidence," Working Papers 2020-2, Michigan State University, Department of Economics.
    4. Chuan, Amanda & Zhang, Weilong, 2023. "Non-college Occupations, Workplace Routinization, and the Gender Gap in College Enrollment," IZA Discussion Papers 16089, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Koh, Yumi & Li, Jing & Wu, Yifan & Yi, Junjian & Zhang, Hanzhe, 2023. "Young Women in Cities," IZA Discussion Papers 16353, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Wu, Jiabin & Zhang, Hanzhe, 2021. "Preference evolution in different matching markets," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    7. Geghetsik Afunts & Stepan Jurajda, 2022. "Who Divorces Whom: Unilateral Divorce Legislation and the Educational Structure of Marriage," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp740, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    8. Zhang, Hanzhe & Zou, Ben, 2023. "A marriage-market perspective on risk-taking and career choices," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    9. Zhang, Hanzhe, 2020. "Pre-matching gambles," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 76-89.
    10. Chuan, A. & Zhang, W., 2021. "Non-College Occupations, Workplace Routinization, and the Gender Gap in College Enrollment," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2177, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    11. Zhou Kit, 2023. "Choosing Sides in a Two-Sided Matching Market," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 23(2), pages 781-807, June.
    12. Zhang, Lin, 2022. "Age matters for girls: School entry age and female graduate education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    13. Dan Anderberg & Jesper Bagger & V. Bhaskar & Tanya Wilson, 2022. "Marriage market equilibrium with matching on latent ability: Identification using a compulsory schooling expansion," Working Papers 2022_11, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    college gender gap; relationships between age at marriage and income;

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts

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