THE DECLINING MARITAL-STATUS EARNINGS DIFFERENTIAL

Earnings differentials between married and unmarried men have been dec lining since the late 1960s. We consider two possible explanations for this decline: changes in the nature of selection into marriage; and c hanges in role specialization within marriage. Our analysis of changes in marriage differentials within cohorts supports only a small contri bution of changes in selection. There is some evidence that difference s in human-capital investment between married and unmarried men have f allen over time, but this effect has apparently been largely offset by increases in the return to that human capital.