Does Intermarriage Affect Men and Women Differently? Exogamy and Earnings among Swedish Immigrants 1990-2009

Martin Dribe, Lund University
Paul Nystedt, Linkoping University

This paper analyzes the impact of intermarriage on the economic integration of immigrant men and women in Sweden, measured by annual earnings. We use longitudinal register data for the period 1990–2009 for the total population of immigrants born 1960–74. The results reveal large intermarriage premiums for men but much smaller premiums for women. Overall much of the intermarriage premium results of selection effects as most of it is visible already at the time of marriage. Especially for immigrant men, the growth in the earnings premium of intermarriage continues also after marriage, pointing to possible causal effects as well. Moreover, for the most economically marginalized immigrants there are even stronger indications of a causal effect as there seems to be no selection into intermarriage in terms of earnings but a strong intermarriage premium arising after union formation.