Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased

Rania Gihleb and Kevin Lang

No 22927, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Some economists have argued that assortative mating between men and women has increased over the last several decades, thereby contributing to increased family income inequality. Sociologists have argued that educational homogamy has increased. We clarify the relation between the two and, using both the Current Population Surveys and the decennial Censuses/American Community Survey, show that neither is correct. The former is based on the use of inappropriate statistical techniques. Both are sensitive to how educational categories are chosen. We also find no evidence that the correlation between spouses' potential earnings has changed dramatically.

JEL-codes: J1 J12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab
Note: LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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Related works:
Chapter: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased* (2020)
Working Paper: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased (2017)
Working Paper: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased (2016)
Working Paper: Educational Homogamy and Assortative Mating Have Not Increased (2014)
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