Exogamy and Women’s Labour Market Outcomes: Evidence from the Historical United States, 1880–1910

Sammanfattning

This study examines the relationship between exogamy and women’s labour market outcomes in the historical United States. Using aggregated county-level data constructed from IPUMS census microdata for the years 1880, 1900, and 1910, the analysis investigates whether county- level exogamy rates are associated with female labour force participation and women’s share in historically male-dominated occupations. The empirical strategy relies on a two-way fixed- effects model with county and year fixed effects, controlling for county-level demographic characteristics. The results indicate a negative and statistically significant association between exogamy and female labour force participation. In contrast, the association between exogamy and women’s share in historically male-dominated occupations is negative but statistically insignificant at the aggregate level. These findings suggest that higher levels of exogamy are associated with lower female labour market participation and potentially lower representation of women in historically male-dominated occupations. While the findings are interpreted as associations rather than causal effects, they highlight the importance of local marriage market composition in shaping women’s economic outcomes.