RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Unilateral Divorce, Assortative Mating, and Household Income Inequality
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0221-11499R5
DO 10.3368/jhr.0221-11499R5
A1 Liu, Sitian
YR 2025
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/01/03/jhr.0221-11499R5.abstract
AB This paper studies the impact of the introduction of unilateral divorce on assortative mating and household income inequality among newly married couples. I exploit variation in the adoption and timing of unilateral divorce laws using three empirical methods. I find that unilateral divorce led to an increase in household income inequality. The rise was likely driven by heightened assortative mating—unilateral divorce moderately increased educational sorting and substantially increased income sorting. Part of the increase in assortative mating could be attributed to reduced marriage rates among college graduates and changes in women’s labor supply decisions at the time of marriage.