Abstract
In what percentage of married couples do wives outearn their husbands, and, moreover, how persistent are these patterns? This study systematically examined variation in point-in-time estimates across alternative measures of earnings, definitions of types of couples, and data sources and gauged the persistence of these patterns for a period of three calendar years using data from the 2000 Current Population Survey and the 1996–2000 Survey of Income and Program Participation. Among the findings are that in 19% to 30% of all married couples, wives have higher earnings than their husbands. In 60% of such couples, this arrangement persists over the three-year period; for the rest, this arrangement is transitory.
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The authors are grateful for comments from Julie Brines, Marianne Ferber, Howard Iams, Robert Pollak, anonymous referees of this journal, the editors, and participants at the Washington University in St. Louis seminar series on Work, Family, and Public Policy. The authors acknowledge support from the University of Missouri Research Board for this project.
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Winkler, A.E., McBride, T.D. & Andrews, C. Wives who outearn their husbands: A transitory or persistent phenomenon for couples?. Demography 42, 523–535 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2005.0028
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2005.0028