Marriage drives women’s economic mobility: Census
Breccan F. Thies
Marriage is a driving factor behind economic upward mobility for women, according to a U.S. Census Bureau study.
A study looking at intergenerational family income mobility found that marriage is a primary source for women’s economic outcomes and attaining a level of success greater than their parents.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S MORTGAGE ADJUSTMENT PLAN BRINGS CRITICS HOME
Even when comparing women with the same levels of income and the same socioeconomic background, whether low or high, upward mobility from generation to generation came from marriage.
“Marriage and family have always been strong drivers of economic growth,” American Principles Project President Terry Schilling told the Washington Examiner. “It’s easier to focus on your job when you have a loyal partner helping and strengthening you. Good fathers and mothers are also driven to work harder and make more money in order to provide for their children.”
Video Embed
The study showed major racial disparities in marriage, with white women being 75% more likely to be married than black women of the same socioeconomic background.
“White women who grew up in families in the bottom 20% income bracket were more likely than black women from the same economic background to move out of the bottom bracket up to the top 20% income bracket,” the study notes.
White women who came from middle-income households were married at a rate of 70%, whereas black women from the same income bracket were only married at a rate of 34%.
However, regardless of childhood family income, white women were still better off economically than other racial and ethnic groups because of the high rate of marriage. According to the study, such “marriage market dynamics” account for 85% of the gap in intergenerational family income mobility.
“Giving women from less-advantaged race/ethnic groups similar personal incomes as white women did little to improve their chances of upward mobility,” the study states. “In contrast, pairing women from less-advantaged race/ethnic groups with similar-earning partners as white women improved their chances of moving up.”
According to Schilling, the data strengthen the economic case for a strong marriage culture in the United States.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Marriage is an economic and cultural driver that compounds over time with each generation, Shilling explained, saying there need to be more potent incentives, like tax structures, to encourage marriage, children, and family unity.
“Strong families create and mold the future citizens, workers, and entrepreneurs of America,” Schilling said. “More people equals more demand in the economy — but, even more importantly, more creativity and innovation — which is where true economic growth comes from.”