INCOME PROSPECTS AND AGE-AT-MARRIAGE

This paper provides an empirical investigation of a theoretical model of the marriage market. In the model, women are valued more for their ability to bear children and men are valued more for their ability to make money. Men cannot reveal their labor market ability to potential spouses until they enter the labor force. At the same time, the releva nt information for evaluating females as spouses is revealed at a youn ger age. The model predicts that the income of males will be positivel y associated with age-at-first-marriage. We find empirical support for the model. However, we also find the association between male earning s and age-at-first-marriage becomes negative for those who married aft er age 30, which was not predicted by the model. Consistent with the m odel, we do not find a strong relationship between earnings and age-at -first-marriage among females.