Do wifes' earnings contribute to reduce income inequality? : evidence from Spain

In this paper we analyze the effect of female labor force participation on family income inequality. We present evidence from Spain by using data from the Family Expenditure Survey for 1980 and 1990. The case of Spain is particularly interesting because inequality decreased over the eighties, while the labor force articipation rate of married women increased substantially over the same period. Our results show that although female labor force participation has contributed to decrease income inequality in Spain, it is far from being one of the main factors behind the observed decrease in inequality over the eighties