| Abstract: | This paper focuses on postponement of couple formation and first birth. We analyze couples born 1930–1979 who have experienced both events. First, we estimate a spouse choice equation based on individual human capital and family of origin characteristics as well as marriage market indicators, using a multinomial logit model. We create nine educational categories using predicted probabilities. Secondly, we estimate the rates of union formation and first birth using Weibull hazard models with individual unobserved heterogeneity, predicted educational categories from the first step, and other fixed and time varying variables. Higher education of one of the spouses, duration of education, and unfavorable labor market conditions delay couple formation and first birth. Swedish women form their unions later than British women, but once the union has been formed, they have their first birth sooner.JEL Classification: D1, J1An earlier paper, co-authored by Eiko Kenjoh, was presented at the Scholar seminar on Education and Postponement of Maternity, University of Amsterdam. We are thankful for comments from Shoshana Grossbard-Shechtman, Michael Lindahl, Adriaan Kalwij, Andrey Launov and other seminar participants at the University of Groningen, the University of Lund and ESPE 2004. We thank Howard Yourow for improving substantially our English and Sebastiene Postma and Robert Helmink for typing several versions of the paper. Further, we thank Eiko Kenjoh for giving us the country comparable education variable, which she constructed for earlier work (see Kenjoh, 2004). |
