DO DELAYS IN MARRIAGE AND CHILDBIRTH AFFECT EARNINGS

Objective. Recent reports on marriage and fertility patterns in the United States indicate that American women and men are delaying family formation. The popular press has protrayed these trends as evidence that young women and men are concentrating more on career development rather than family development. This research examines whether delaying family formation affects wages, as suggested by various economic and sociological theories. Methods. Data from the National Survey of Families and Households are used to estimate the effects of delays in marriage and childbirth on wages of married women and men. Results. The analysis reveals that delaying marriage significantly increases married women's wages but does not significantly affect married men's wages, and that delaying childbirth significantly increases married women's and men's wages. There is also evidence that the positive wage effects of delays in marriage and childbirth erode over time. Conclusions. The wage benefits women and men derive from delays in marriage and childbirth could lead to substantial differences in career earnings between those who delay family formation and those who do not.