Occupational differences and the relative wages of married and single young men

This study investigates differences in the occupational structures of married and single young men to determine if single men face unequal prospects for occupational attainment. A second objective is to determine if occupational differences by marital status help to explain the well-known marriage wage premium. The estimated qualitative response model reveals that single and married men face different prospects for occupational attainment after controlling for differences in personal characteristics. However, the wage premium for married men does not appear to result from the segregation of single men into lower-paying occupations.