Abstract.
In standard cross-sectional wage regressions, married men appear to earn 10 to 20% more than comparable never married men. One proposed explanation for this male marriage premium is that men may be selected into marriage on the basis of characteristics valued by employers as well as by spouses or because they earn high wages. This paper examines the selection hypothesis by focusing on shotgun weddings, which may make marital status uncorrelated with earnings ability. We compare the estimated marriage premium between white men whose first marriages are soon followed by a birth and other married white men in the United States. The return to marriage differs little for married men with a premarital conception and other married men, and the results suggest that at most 10% of the estimated marriage premium is due to selection.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 19 June 1998/Accepted: 10 July 2000
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ginther, D., Zavodny, M. Is the male marriage premium due to selection? The effect of shotgun weddings on the return to marriage. J Popul Econ 14, 313–328 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001480000058
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001480000058