Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1 Distributions of Gender Relative Income in the 2000 U.S. Census
Notes: Panel A is Figure III of Bertrand, Kamenica, and Pan (Marianne Bertrand, Emir Kamenica, and Jessica Pan. 2015. “Gender Identity and Relative Income within Households.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 130 (2):571–614, by permission of Oxford University Press). Panel B is our replication. Each graph is based on a sample of dual-earning married couples in which both husband and wife are between 18 and 65 years of age. Each graph plots a 20-bin histogram of the distribution, across couples, of the share of total household income that was earned by the wife. The dashed lines depict the lowess smoother applied to each histogram, allowing for a break at 0.5.
- Figure 2 Distribution of Gender Relative Income in the 2000 U.S. Census: Couples Aged 18–40 without Children
Notes: The sample includes dual-earning married couples who do not have children and where both husband and wife are between 18 and 40 years of age. The figure plots a 20-bin histogram of the distribution, across couples, of the share of total household income that was earned by the wife. The dashed lines depict the lowess smoother applied to the histogram, allowing for a break at 0.5.
- Figure 3 Distributions of Gender Relative Income inthe2000 U.S. Census: Actual and Random Sorting
Notes: The sample is the same as in Figure 2. The figure plots a 20-bin histogram of the actual distribution of the wife’s share of total spousal earnings (“Actual Sorting”) and a 20-bin histogram of a simulated distribution based on random sorting of couples (“Random Sorting”). The dashed lines represent the lowess smoother applied to each histogram on either side of 0.5.
- Figure 4 Distributions of Gender Relative Income in the 2000 U.S. Census: Actual Sorting and Simulated Sorting with Exogenous Earnings
Notes: The sample is the same as in Figure 2. The figure plots a 20-bin histogram of the actual distribution of the wife’s share of total spousal earnings (“Actual Sorting”) and a 20-bin histogram of a simulated distribution based on assortative matching of couples on observed income plus noise (“Simulated Sorting”). See Section IV. B for further detail on the simulation. The dashed lines represent the lowess smoother applied to each histogram on either side of 0. 5.
- Figure 5 Distributions of Gender Relative Income in the 2000 U.S. Census: Actual Sorting and Simulated Sorting with Endogenous Earnings
Notes: The sample is the same as in Figure 2. The figure plots a 20-bin histogram of the actual distribution of the wife’s share of total spousal earnings (“Actual Sorting”) and a 20-bin histogram of a simulated distribution based on assortative matching of couples on potential income plus noise (“Simulated Sorting”) and in which the wife’s observed earnings are endogenized via a neoclassical labor supply decision. See Section IV.B for further detail on the simulation. The dashed lines represent the lowess smoother applied to each histogram on either side of 0.5.
- Figure 6 Distributions of Gender Relative Income in U.S. Administrative Record Sample
Notes: Panel A is Figure I of Bertrand, Kamenica, and Pan (Marianne Bertrand, Emir Kamenica, and Jessica Pan. 2015. “Gender Identity and Relative Income within Households.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 130 (2):571–614, by permission of Oxford University Press). The data underlying this graph are administrative income data from the SIPP–SSA Gold Standard File covering the 1990–2004 SIPP panels. Panel B is our replication. We use the latest version of the Gold Standard File, which includes the 1984 and 2008 SIPP panels as well. The sample in each graph includes all dual-earning couples aged 18–65, with income information taken from the first year the couple was observed in the SIPP panel. See Section V for further discussion. Each graph plots 20-bin histograms of the observed distribution of the wife’s share of total spousal earnings. The dashed lines represent the lowess smoother applied to each histogram on either side of 0.5.
- Figure 7 Distributions of Gender Relative Income in U.S. Administrative Record Data: Couples who Earn Close to the Same Incomes
Notes: The sample is the same as in Panel B of Figure 6, but is restricted to couples in which the wife earns between 45 and 55 percent of total income. The graph in the top panel retains the point mass of couples earning identical incomes; the graph in the bottom panel excludes it. The bin size used in both graphs is 0.001; each graph contains 100 bins.
Tables
Husband Height Minus Wife Height (cm) Proportion in: Ratio of Actual to Random Actual Distribution Random Distribution <-10 0.6% 1.3% 0.47 −10 to −5 1.5% 2.6% 0.58 −5 to 0 1.9% 2.5% 0.77 0 to 5 8.5% 8.7% 0.97 5 to 10 16.3% 14.5% 1.12 10 to 15 21.3% 19.2% 1.11 15 to 20 20.7% 19.7% 1.05 20 to 25 15.3% 15.8% 0.97 25 to 30 8.8% 9.4% 0.94 30 to 35 3.7% 4.2% 0.87 >35 1.4% 2.1% 0.66 Notes: Data taken from Table 1 of Stulp et al. (2013).
Parameter Symbol Calibrated Value Mean, male log earnings μm 10.350 SD, male log earnings σm 0.750 Mean, female log potential earnings μf 10.160 SD, female log potential earnings σm 0.700 Mean, disutility of work ψ 0.002 SD, disutility of work σψ 0.001 Earnings-disutility correlation, females ρ −0.400 SD, transitory earnings shock (1,000s) σu 13.000 Targets in the Data Data Model Mean, male log earnings 10.350 10.350 SD, male log earnings 0.750 0.750 Mean, female log earnings 10.000 9.980 SD, female log earnings 0.870 0.870 Gender earnings ratio, all 0.740 0.710 Gender earnings ratio, full-timers only 0.800 0.790 Labor force-participation rate, females 0.880 0.910 Full-time employment rate, females 0.670 0.670 Notes: Calibration of model discussed in Section IV.B.
Bandwidth Bin Size Hypothesized Breakpoint 0.500001 0.499999 0.5 (Omit Point Mass) 0.084 0.0016 −0.124*** 0.064** −0.034 (0.031) (0.031) (0.032) 0.045 0.0016 −0.184*** 0.129*** −0.031 (0.040) (0.040) (0.043) 0.023 0.0016 −0.310*** 0.240*** −0.040 (0.055) (0.055) (0.061) 0.011 0.0005 −0.575*** 0.451*** −0.078 (0.078) (0.081) (0.091) Notes: Sample of spousal earnings data taken from the SIPP-SSA Gold Standard Files. See Section V for discussion of the sample. The first reported bandwidth and bin size correspond to those automatically selected by the McCrary (2008) test algorithm. McCrary (2008) recommends using a small bandwidth than the automatically selected one, as is done in the second through fourth rows. Point estimates report the change in log height of the density function as one travels from just left of the hypothesized breakpoint to just right of it. Asymptotic standard errors reported below coefficient estimates in parentheses; standard statistical significance legend used.
- Appendix Table A1
Distributions of Gender Relative Income in 2000 Census: Including versus Excluding Business Income
Including Business Earnings Excluding Business Earnings All Dual-Earners All Dual-Earners 0 0.228 0.244 0+ to 0.10 0.072 0.099 0.062 0.092 0.10+ to 0.20 0.082 0.113 0.074 0.109 0.20+ to 0.30 0.108 0.148 0.100 0.148 0.30+ to 0.40 0.139 0.191 0.133 0.196 0.40+ to 0.50 0.153 0.211 0.148 0.218 0.50+ to 0.60 0.096 0.132 0.091 0.135 0.60+ to 0.70 0.040 0.055 0.037 0.054 0.70+ to 0.80 0.020 0.027 0.017 0.026 0.80+ to 0.90 0.011 0.016 0.010 0.014 0.90+ to 1- 0.007 0.009 0.006 0.009 1 0.044 0.078 Notes: Sample of married couples taken from the 2000 census in which both husband and wife are between 18 and 65 years of age and with positive total earnings. Columns 2 and 4 restrict the sample to dual-earning couples. Columns 3 and 4 exclude business income.
In this issue
Jump to section
- Article
- ABSTRACT
- I. Introduction
- II. Related Literature
- III. Applying Becker’s Theory of Marriage to the Study of Social Norms
- IV. The Skewed Distribution of Spousal Earnings Differences in the U.S. Does Not Imply a Male-Breadwinner Norm
- V. Discontinuity or Point Mass? Assessing Alternative Evidence for a Male-Breadwinner Norm
- VI. Discussion
- Appendix
- Footnotes
- References
- Figures & Data
- Info & Metrics
- References
Related Articles
Cited By...
- No citing articles found.