A Consequence of Assortative Mating through Changes in a Couple’s Household Income: Focusing on a Couple’s Educational Pairing and the Wife’s Labor Market Participation

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  • 夫婦世帯収入の変化からみる階層結合の帰結――夫婦の学歴組み合わせと妻の就労に着目して――
  • フウフ セタイ シュウニュウ ノ ヘンカ カラ ミル カイソウ ケツゴウ ノ キケツ : フウフ ノ ガクレキ クミアワセ ト ツマ ノ シュウロウ ニ チャクモク シテ

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Abstract

<p>This paper examines the hypothesis that women’s labor market participation will increase the disparity between households, which is pointed out as a common cause of income inequality in developed countries. After pointing out that the proposition assumed by previous research is not applicable to Japan, I examine a generating process of macro-level inequality through the individual’s life course of women’s employment and income changes, using the Japan Life-Course Panel Study. The results of the analysis are summarized in the following three points. First, the equalizing hypothesis that women’s employment relieves inequality among households was supported. Second, the “loose” relationship between women’s better access to higher education and labor market participation was indicated, as prior studies have pointed out. Third, it was suggested that the income of both husbands and wives among married couples with a high educational background and continuous standard employment will increase and contribute to household income inequality, but this group accounts for only a small proportion of the total, and as a whole the wife’s employment reduces household income inequality.</p>

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