How Does Matching Uncertainty Affect Marital Surplus? Theory and Evidence from China

Li Han (), Xinzheng Shi and Ming-ang Zhang ()
Additional contact information
Li Han: Division of Social Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Ming-ang Zhang: Central University of Finance and Economics

No 202202, HKUST CEP Working Papers Series from HKUST Center for Economic Policy

Abstract: Information quality affects matching and marital outcomes. We show in a simple two-dimensional matching model that a noisier cue for one trait leads to a shift in sorting tradeoff toward the other, lowers average welfare but the impact is asymmetric. To test the predictions, we explore the repeal of mandatory premarital health examinations in China. The repeal, increasing health cue noise, is found to have reduced postmarital subjective well-being mainly through a reduction in child health associated with decreased sorting by health. The deterioration was particularly strong for women and the poor, suggesting entrenched inequality by gender and wealth.

Keywords: Premarital Health Examination; Subjective Well-being; Assortative Matching; Sorting Tradeoff; Inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I18 J12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cna, nep-hap and nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://cep.hkust.edu.hk/sites/default/files/publi ... per/WP%202022-02.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hke:wpaper:wp2022-02

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in HKUST CEP Working Papers Series from HKUST Center for Economic Policy Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Kathy Wong ().