Does type of conjugal union matter in the labor market? Evidence from a Caribbean economy

Conclusion

This preliminary investigation of earnings differences between men and women in a Caribbean country by the constitution of their marital union has sought to bring some contemporary evidence to bear on a long-asked question: to what extent does conjugal union status matter in Carribean society? More specifically, the article investigated this matter within the context of the Trinidad & Tobago labor market, and identified two types of conjugal unions: legal marriage and consensual cohabitation, generally referred to in the Carribean literature as “common law” unions.