Multi-Trait Matching and Intergenerational Mobility: A Cinderella Story

Natalie Chen, Carlo Perroni and Paola Conconi

No 8605, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: Empirical studies of intergenerational social mobility have found that women are more mobile than men. To explain this finding, we describe a model of multi-trait matching and inheritance, in which individuals? attractiveness in the marriage market depends on their market and non-market characteristics. We show that the observed gender differences in social mobility can arise if market characteristics are relatively more important in determining marriage outcomes for men than for women and are more persistent across generations than non-market characteristics. Paradoxically, the female advantage in social mobility may be due to their adverse treatment in the labor market. A reduction in gender discrimination in the labor market leads to an increase in homogamy in the marriage market, lowering social mobility for both genders.

Keywords: Gender earnings gap; Inheritance; Matching; Social mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C78 D13 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cis, nep-dem and nep-lab
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Working Paper: Multi-Trait Matching and Intergenerational Mobility: A Cinderella Story (2011)
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