Econometrics and Applied Micro Seminar

This paper proposes an easy to estimate Cobb Douglas marriage matching function (MMF). Special cases include the Choo Siow (CS) MMF, CS with peer effects, CS with frictional transfers, the Dagsvik Menzel non-transferable utility MMF and Chiappori, Salanie´ and Weiss MMF. Given population supplies and admissible parameters, the Cobb Douglas MMF exists and is unique. This MMF is estimated on US marriage and co-habitation data by states from 1990 to 2010. CS with peer effects is not rejected. There are peer and scale effects in the US marriage markets. Positive assortative matching in marriage and cohabitation by educational attainment are relatively stable from 1990 to 2010.