IT SUCKS TO BE SINGLE! MARITAL STATUS AND REDISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL SECURITY

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Groneck, Max; Wallenius, Johanna
• 署名单位: University of Groningen; Stockholm School of Economics
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueaa078
• 发表日期: 2021
• 页码: 327-371
• 关键词: life-cycle analysis; intertemporal behavior; LABOR; wages; Heterogeneity; marriage; DECISION; taxation; RISK

摘要

In this article, we study the labour supply effects and the redistributional consequences of the US social security system. We focus particularly on auxiliary benefits, where eligibility is linked to marital status. To this end, we develop a dynamic. structural life cycle model of singles and couples, featuring uncertain marital status and survival. We account for the socio-economic gradients to both marriage stability and life expectancy. We find that auxiliary benefits have a large depressing effect on married women's employment. Moreover, we show that a revenue neutral minimum benefit scheme would moderately reduce inequality relative to the current US system.