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Does size matter in Australia?

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Kortt, Michael; Leigh, Andrew

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We estimate the relationship between hourly wages and two aspects of body size: height and body mass index (BMI). We observe a height premium, with an additional 10 cm of height being associated with a 3 per cent increase in hourly wages for men. However, workers with higher BMI scores do not seem to earn lower wages. These results are largely unaffected by controlling for physical health, or (in the case of BMI) instrumenting with the BMI of biological family members. A survey of previous...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorKortt, Michael
dc.contributor.authorLeigh, Andrew
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-08T22:19:55Z
dc.identifier.issn0013-0249
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/31765
dc.description.abstractWe estimate the relationship between hourly wages and two aspects of body size: height and body mass index (BMI). We observe a height premium, with an additional 10 cm of height being associated with a 3 per cent increase in hourly wages for men. However, workers with higher BMI scores do not seem to earn lower wages. These results are largely unaffected by controlling for physical health, or (in the case of BMI) instrumenting with the BMI of biological family members. A survey of previous instrumental variables studies shows little indication of systematic biases, suggesting that OLS may provide a reasonable estimate of the causal impact of BMI on wages.
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing Ltd
dc.sourceThe Economic Record
dc.subjectKeywords: body mass; body size; index method; occupation; wage determination; working conditions; Australia
dc.titleDoes size matter in Australia?
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.citationvolume86
dc.date.issued2010
local.identifier.absfor140208 - Health Economics
local.identifier.absfor140211 - Labour Economics
local.identifier.ariespublicationf2965xPUB86
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationKortt, Michael, University of Sydney
local.contributor.affiliationLeigh, Andrew, College of Business and Economics, ANU
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.issue272
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage71
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage83
local.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1475-4932.2009.00566.x
dc.date.updated2016-02-24T08:33:28Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-77950171872
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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