Intergenerational Economic Mobility and Assortative Mating

36 Pages Posted: 30 Nov 2005

See all articles by John Ermisch

John Ermisch

University of Oxford; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Marco Francesconi

University of Essex; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Thomas Siedler

University of Hamburg - Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Sciences; DIW Berlin; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); University of Essex

Date Written: November 2005

Abstract

We use data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and the British Household Panel Survey to estimate the extent of intergenerational economic mobility in a framework that highlights the role played by assortative mating. We find that assortative mating plays an important role. On average about 40-50% of the covariance between parents' and own permanent family income can be attributed to the person to whom one is married. This effect is driven by strong spouse correlations in human capital, which are larger in Germany than Britain.

Keywords: intergenerational links, marriage market, assortative mating, occupational prestige

JEL Classification: J12, I20, D31, D64

Suggested Citation

Ermisch, John F. and Francesconi, Marco and Siedler, Thomas, Intergenerational Economic Mobility and Assortative Mating (November 2005). IZA Discussion Paper No. 1847, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=858965 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.858965

John F. Ermisch (Contact Author)

University of Oxford ( email )

Manor Road
Oxford, OX2
United Kingdom

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Marco Francesconi

University of Essex ( email )

Wivenhoe Park
Colchester CO4 3SQ
United Kingdom
+44 1206 873 534 (Phone)
+44 1206 873 151 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Thomas Siedler

University of Hamburg - Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Sciences ( email )

Von-Melle-Park 9
Hamburg, 20146
Germany

DIW Berlin ( email )

Mohrenstraße 58
Berlin, 10117
Germany

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

University of Essex ( email )

Wivenhoe Park
Colchester, CO4 3SQ
United Kingdom

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