Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!

How marriage contributes to inequality

Noel King May 29, 2014
HTML EMBED:
COPY
Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images

How marriage contributes to inequality

Noel King May 29, 2014
Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Prior to the 1960s, it wasn’t unusual for a college-educated man to marry a woman with earnings that were significantly less than his — or a woman who earned nothing at all.

Over time, as more women entered college, a pattern of “assortative mating” began to emerge. Research shows that, beginning in the 1960s, college-educated men became more likely to marry women who were also college-educated. Income is highly correlated to education, leading to the growth of double-income households that earn more then their less-well-educated peers. Some researchers though, warn that structural factors like taxation and the shrinkage of labor unions are far more pertinent when discussing the rise of inequality in 21st century America. 

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.