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Research ArticleArticles

Making Big Decisions

The Impact of Moves on Marriage among U.S. Army Personnel

View ORCID ProfileSusan Payne Carter and Abigail Wozniak
Journal of Human Resources, May 2023, 58 (3) 713-754; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.59.1.0919-10429R1
Susan Payne Carter
Susan Carter is an Associate Professor at the United States Military Academy, West Point ().
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  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Abigail Wozniak
Abigail Wozniak is Senior Economist and Director, Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis ().
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ABSTRACT

We use exogenously determined, long-distance relocations of U.S. Army soldiers to investigate the impact of moving on marriage. In an event study analysis, we find that marriage rates increase sharply around the time of a move. Reduced-form exposure analysis reveals that an additional move over a five-year period increases the likelihood of marriage by 14 percent, a magnitude similar to those in observational data on civilians. Moves increase childbearing by a similar magnitude, suggesting that marriages induced by a move are formed with long-term intentions. We explore implications of our findings for theories of marriage related to search, bargaining, and decision-making costs.

JEL Classification:
  • J1
  • J12
  • J13
  • J61
  • Received September 2019.
  • Accepted January 2021.
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Journal of Human Resources: 58 (3)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 58, Issue 3
1 May 2023
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Making Big Decisions
Susan Payne Carter, Abigail Wozniak
Journal of Human Resources May 2023, 58 (3) 713-754; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.59.1.0919-10429R1

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Making Big Decisions
Susan Payne Carter, Abigail Wozniak
Journal of Human Resources May 2023, 58 (3) 713-754; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.59.1.0919-10429R1
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  • Article
    • ABSTRACT
    • I. Introduction
    • II. The Relationship between Moves and Marriage among Civilians
    • III. Data and Identification Strategy
    • IV. Main Impacts: Event Study and Exposure Analysis
    • V. Explanations from Theory
    • VI. Evidence on Theoretical Mechanisms: The Role of Location and Move Characteristics
    • VII. Conclusion
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Keywords

  • J1
  • J12
  • J13
  • J61
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