If there was ever a reason for single men to step up to the plate and boldly overcome any cold feet, here’s a great one: cold, hard cash. A new government report shows men who overcome their fear of commitment reap the reward of the highest lifetime earnings, higher than single men (and anyone else, for that matter).
Married men earn way more money over their careers than single men, single women, and married women, according to the new report from the St. Louis Federal Reserve. The report found unmarried men and women have very little difference in income, according to their analysis of all people employed in 2016 with at least a high school diploma. Interestingly, the report found that for women, getting married doesn’t do much to improve our wages, which helps reinforce–if we didn’t already know ourselves–that we shouldn’t be the ones waiting by the phone for that man to call us back after the first date.
Of course, Guillaume Vandenbroucke, the report’s author put in the necessary caveat that the report doesn’t necessarily prove that being married pumps up a man’s wages–it could mean that men earning higher wages are more likely to marry and lower-income men remain single.
The report also challenges a common perception around the feminism debate; the report found that married and single women make similar wages, “not consistent with the view that the gender wage gap results from women having children earlier in life and losing ground in human capital accumulation relative to men.”
In a Bold oped earlier this year, Heather Grizzle from National Marriage Week earlier also made the case for marriage that helps reinforce what this new report shows: “Education and economic achievements shouldn’t eclipse or prolong marriage because marriage isn’t designed to prevent these accomplishments,” she wrote. “Instead, it can be the foundation from which you can launch into those other pursuits. It gives you the ability to pursue an education, a degree, and a career in tandem with a committed lifelong companion who can support you along the way. Each day holds adventures — marriage allows you to adventure freely and safely because you have a base camp to which you can return.”
Beyonce knew what she was singing about in her song, “Single Ladies,” yet perhaps her better audience would be “All The Single Men.”
“‘Cause if you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it”
Photo by NGDPhotoworks (Pixabay)
