Dynamics of Income Associations in Brazilian Couples: A Gender Approach

The paper investigates the evolving dynamics of labor income associations within Brazilian couples from 1995 to 2019, identifying possible trends and changes along the income distribution. Descriptive analyses of the relative income gap, rank association curves, and quantile regressions are used to find patterns in the context of shifting gender roles, non-linear income associations, and the influence of socio-demographic factors. Overall, a general trend towards greater income equality is observed. However, this equality trend seems to be capped when women start earning more than their husbands, with a persistent asymmetry in income associations between genders. Non-linearities are also present in the income dynamics. Income matches are more varied among poorer couples, suggesting higher economic diversity in these relationships. Notably, there is more flexibilization of this norm among the poorest individuals, suggesting that this bigger share of wives that are the primary earners rises from economic necessity rather than evolving gender attitudes.