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Research ArticleResearch Article

Making Big Decisions: The Impact of Moves on Marriage among U.S. Army Personnel

Susan Payne Carter and Abigail Wozniak
Published online before print May 13, 2021, 0919-10429R1; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.59.1.0919-10429R1
Susan Payne Carter
U.S. Military Academy, West Point
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  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Abigail Wozniak
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, NBER and IZA
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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 Codes
  • J1
  • J12
  • J13
  • J61

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Journal of Human Resources: 60 (3)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 60, Issue 3
1 May 2025
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Making Big Decisions: The Impact of Moves on Marriage among U.S. Army Personnel
Susan Payne Carter, Abigail Wozniak
Journal of Human Resources May 2021, 0919-10429R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.59.1.0919-10429R1

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Making Big Decisions: The Impact of Moves on Marriage among U.S. Army Personnel
Susan Payne Carter, Abigail Wozniak
Journal of Human Resources May 2021, 0919-10429R1; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.59.1.0919-10429R1
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  • J1
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