Mark and Jim have contributed the same amount to Social Security. Mark's spouse did not work while Jim's spouse was in the labor force. In terms of their real rate of return earned on Social Security, we would expect to find:

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Social Security benefits include spousal benefits, which allow a non-working spouse to receive benefits based on the working spouse's record. Since Mark's spouse did not work and can still receive benefits, the total return on the contributions for Mark's household will be higher than Jim's, where both contributed but only receive based on their own contributions. This results in a higher real rate of return for Mark.

Mark and Jim Have Contributed the Same Amount to Social