Education, Assortative Mating and the Duration to Couple Formation and First Birth in Britain and Sweden

The paper focuses on duration until couple formation and first birth. We analyse couples born 1930-1979, who have experienced both events. In a first step, which represents the mating function, we estimate a spouse choice equation based on individual human capital and family of origin characteristics as well as marriage market indicators, using a multinomial logit model. We create nine educational categories using predicted probabilities. In a second step, we estimate the rates of union formation and first birth using Weibull hazard models with individual unobserved heterogeneity, predicted educational categories from the first step and other fixed and time varying variables as explanatory variables. Higher education of one of the spouses, the duration in education and unfavorable labor market conditions delay couple formation and first birth. Swedish women form their union later but once the union has been formed, they are quicker to have their first birth.