Same sex marriage

To most the issue of same sex marriage probably appears to lack all considerations of economics, but I disagree. I believe that same sex marriage could have a profound effect on labor economics. Regardless of the president’s vehement disapproval of same sex marriage, it appears likely that at some point in the future it will be made legal. The link provided at the end of this blog provides evidence for this claim.

I find it interesting to consider how same sex marriage would affect the labor force participation rate (LFPR). Before I begin to explain my line of reasoning I would first like to make clear that I don’t believe a dramatic result would be noticed, just that there could be a noticeable result. There are many financial “perks” to being marriage in the traditional sense, and this is why homosexuals are fighting so intensely to have that same privilege. I wonder if same sex marriage was permitted if one of the spouses would be more likely to drop out of the labor force and by doing so lower the LFPR. Depending on the average amount of hours an individual worked and on the size of the pure income effect (no substitution effect), it is possible that the individual could obtain a higher level of utility by not working at all.

For those readers that are not, or have not, taken labor economics the previous statement likely does not make sense. For those that are, or have, taken this class, what do you think about my hypothesis?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/07/gay.marriage.ap/indes.html