Please Approach Me: Cross-regional Matching in Marriage Market

This study examines the causal influence of birthplace and workplace on marriage matching preferences through randomized field experiments on online dating platforms, addressing the survivor bias issue in traditional surveys. Results show a widespread preference for matches from the same birthplace or workplace, with stronger workplace proximity. Males and older individuals favor matches from the same birthplace, while men, only-children, and homeowners prefer workplace matches. Cities with higher economic development enhance the workplace match preference, especially for men. Gender imbalances weaken workplace match preferences, more so for men. Cities with higher housing prices strengthen workplace match preferences among men but weaken them among women. Social capital transferability, psychological and material costs of migration, and gender norms significantly impact these preferences.