O prêmio salarial masculino do casamento no Brasil

Abstract

The main objective of the thesis is to analyze the association between marital status and men’s earnings in Brazil. The phenomenon of the “male marriage wage premium” is well documented in the international literature and is due to the fact that married men receive higher earnings than their single counterparts. The specific objectives of the thesis are: (1) to verify if there is a marriage and a cohabitation premium for Brazilian men; (2) to examine premiums and penalties associated with the characteristics of wives/partners; and, (3) to identify potential explanations applicable for the Brazilian context. The motivations of this study are related to the incomplete gender revolution and the persistence of gender inequalities in the labor market, with women being penalized and men being rewarded for having children and spouses. It is argued that the debate on gender equality is enhanced by the inclusion of a masculine perspective in discussions about family and work. The analyses consider information on adult, urban and occupied men from the 2010 Brazilian Census. Results confirm the existence of a marriage premium and, to a lesser extent, a cohabitation premium for Brazilian men. Both premiums rise with earnings and socioeconomic level, with increasing differences between marriage and cohabitation. Decomposition of earnings differentials show that marriage and cohabitation premiums are due to the wage structure, not to the composition effects. Self-employed workers exhibit higher premiums than employees, which refutes the argument of employer discrimination as the primary explanation for the higher earnings of married and cohabitating men. Selectivity has a small effect on the marriage premium and does not explain the cohabitation premium. There is a positive association between male earnings and a working wife/partner amongst the poorest which is compatible with the idea of positive assortative mating by productivity. Among the richest, this association is negative, possibly due to the income effect. The association between wife/partner's educational attainment and male earnings is always positive, consistent with the joint human capital hypothesis. Understanding the possible mechanisms behind marriage and cohabitation premiums can help to recognize trends in productivity and gender inequalities in the labor market. If the lower cohabitation premium is due to lower household specialization, it can be expected that an increase in cohabitation rates will reduce gender inequalities, both in families and in the labor market. If the marriage premium arises from the productivity/specialization hypothesis, gender equality and increasing female labor market participation may have the secondary effect of decreasing the productivity of married men. On the other hand, the prospect is more optimistic if we consider that the marriage and cohabitation premiums are led by the joint human capital of the spouses. In this case, the pursuit of professional careers and increasing female education level can benefit both women and men.