Assortative Mating, the Division of Labor in Marriage, and Analytic Choices: A Reply
Abstract
We use the large samples of U.S. Census and ACS data from 1940‒2013 to conduct a reanalysis. The evidence for changes in the division of labor after marriage is robust. The evidence on assortative mating is more variable, even in large samples. Our best estimate is that assortative mating explains 29% of earnings homogamy trends. The definition of newlyweds and treatment of missing values are consequential.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Family Dynamics and Relationships
Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Work-Family Balance Challenges
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Demography
- Publisher
- Duke University Press
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1019–1028
- Publication date
- 31 July 2026
- Language
- EN