When Work Disappears: Manufacturing Decline and the Falling Marriage-Market Value of Young Men

David Autor, David Dorn and Gordon Hanson

No 11465, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We exploit the gender-specific components of large-scale labor demand shocks stemming from rising international manufacturing competition to test how shifts in the relative economic stature of young men versus young women affected marriage, fertility and children's living circumstances during 1990-2014. On average, trade shocks differentially reduce employment and earnings of young adult males. Consistent with Becker's model of household specialization, shocks to male's relative earnings reduce marriage and fertility. Consistent with prominent sociological accounts, these shocks heighten male idleness and premature mortality, and raise the share of mothers who are unwed and the share of children living in below-poverty, single-headed households.

Keywords: marriage market; fertility; mortality; household structure; single-parent families; trade flows; import competition; local labor markets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F16 J12 J13 J21 J23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 27 pages
Date: 2018-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-lma and nep-ltv
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (60)

Published - published in: American Economic Review: Insights, 2019, 1 (2), 161-178

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Related works:
Journal Article: When Work Disappears: Manufacturing Decline and the Falling Marriage Market Value of Young Men (2019)
Working Paper: When Work Disappears: Manufacturing Decline and the Falling Marriage Market Value of Young Men (2018)
Working Paper: When Work Disappears: Manufacturing Decline and the Falling Marriage-Market Value of Young Men (2017)
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