Higher Education, Lower Satisfaction: Hypogamy and Traditional Norms in Japan (Single-authored)
Abstract:
This article answers the research question of whether traditional norms punish married females through well-being losses for having a higher education than their husbands (hypogamy). Contemporary research shows negative well-being implications once women threaten the husband's leading role in the household, but usually only investigates labor market outcomes like working hours and income. This study closes the gap in the literature by directly showing how educational advantages influence females' well-being. I answer the question regarding the Japan Panel Survey of Consumers (JPSC), as Japan’s strong economy creates friction with persistent traditional social norms and thus offers unique insights. I find a negative correlation between having a higher education than the husband and life satisfaction. This relationship is the strongest among those aligning with traditional norms and turns positive for non-traditional women with a prominent role within the household.
Personally presented at:
LISER & IAAEU Workshop on Labour and Personnel Economics, LISER Luxembourg, June 2025; German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ Tokyo) Study Group, Online presentation, December 2024; The 23rd International Conference of the Japan Economic Policy Association (JEPA), Online presentation, December 2024; 3rd Gender and Economics Workshop, University of Luxemburg, May 2024; RCEA International Conference in Economics, Econometrics, and Finance, Brunel University, England, May 2024; Workshop on Labour Economics, Trier University, April 2024; AASLE, Taipei, National Taiwan University, December 2023.
I Manage the Money - You Spend It: Income Management and Expenditure in Japan (with Yue Huang)
Abstract:
This article explores the link between income management styles and expenditure behaviors within married Japanese couples. A substantial body of literature addresses the distribution of income and earning disparities within couples, yet empirical evidence on income management practices and expenditure decisions remains scarce. This study closes that gap with unique data from the Japan Panel Survey of Consumers (JPSC). We find that traditional Japanese income management arrangements, wherein husbands transfer their full income to their wives to manage it, are linked to a reduced relative expenditure share for women.
Trade Unions and Life Satisfaction in Germany (with Laszlo Goerke and Yue Huang)
Published:
British Journal of Industrial Relations (Volume 63, Issue 3, September 2025, pages 462-477.)
https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12861
Abstract:
The effects of trade union membership on wages and job satisfaction have been studied extensively. Arguably, life satisfaction serves as a more comprehensive measure of the benefits of union membership and warrants closer examination. Using all relevant waves from the German Socio-Economic Panel between 1985 and 2019, we find a negative correlation between trade union membership and life satisfaction in OLS and FE specifications. The association may arise because union members are more concerned about their job and the economic situation and less satisfied with their work. Social capital and wages also perform as channels between membership and life satisfaction. The negative correlation is more pronounced in settings in which trade unions are relatively weak.
Personally presented at:
The 23rd International Conference of the Japan Economic Policy Association (JEPA), Online, December 2024; BeWell Meeting 2023, Freie Universität Berlin, February 2023; AEA Annual Meeting (ASSA), New Orleans, USA, January 2023; 14th International German Socio-Economic Panel User Conference, DIW Berlin, June/July 2022; XXIV Applied Economics Meeting, Asociación Libre de Economia (ALdE) Palma, Spain, June 2022.