LABOR SUPPLY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MARRIED HETEROSEXUAL WOMEN AND PARTNERED LESBIANS: A SEMI‐PARAMETRIC DECOMPOSITION APPROACH

Using 2000 U.S. Census data we illustrate the importance of accounting for household specialization in lesbian couples when examining labor supply differences between heterosexual married and partnered lesbian women. Specifically, we find the labor supply gap is substantially larger between married...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic inquiry 2013-01, Vol.51 (1), p.783-805
Main Authors: ANTECOL, HEATHER, STEINBERGER, MICHAEL D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Censuses
Children
Comparative analysis
Employment
Forecasts and trends
Gay couples
Gays & lesbians
Heterosexuality
Households
Labor economics
Labor market
Labor supply
Labour market
Labour supply
Lesbianism
Lesbians
Same sex marriage
Studies
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Using 2000 U.S. Census data we illustrate the importance of accounting for household specialization in lesbian couples when examining labor supply differences between heterosexual married and partnered lesbian women. Specifically, we find the labor supply gap is substantially larger between married women and partnered lesbian women who specialize in market production (primary earners) than between married women and partnered lesbian women who specialize in household production (secondary earners). Applying a semi‐parametric decomposition approach we show that controlling for children significantly reduces the gap between married women and secondary lesbian earners both in terms of the decision to remain attached to the labor market (the extensive margin) and annual hours of work conditional on working (the intensive margin). Further, the effect of controlling for children primarily reduces the percentage of secondary lesbian earners working extremely high annual hours. (JEL J15, J16, J22)
ISSN:0095-2583
1465-7295
DOI:10.1111/j.1465-7295.2010.00363.x