Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

This paper exploits variations among U.S. states to show that gay and lesbian couples increased their labor supply following the legalization of same-sex marriage. Both partners in these couples were more likely to be employed, to work full time, and to work longer hours. Marriage equality was also associated with a decrease in self-employment and within-household specialization among same-sex couples. Additional evidence is then provided in order to investigate whether these changes were driven by a reduction in discrimination, a marriage premium in wages, or changes in fertility, assortative matching and homeownership.