Working Paper: NBER ID: w10522
Authors: Nicola Persico; Andrew Postlewaite; Dan Silverman
Abstract: Taller workers receive a wage premium. Net of differences in family background, the disparity is similar in magnitude to the race and gender gaps. We exploit variation in an individual's height over time to explore how height affects wages. Controlling for teen height essentially eliminates the effect of adult height on wages for white males. The teen height premium is not explained by differences in resources or endowments. The teen height premium is partly mediated through participation in high school sports and clubs. We estimate the monetary benefits of a medical treatment for children that increases height.
Keywords: Height; Labor Market Outcomes; Adolescent Experience; Wage Premium
JEL Codes: J7; J3; Z1
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| teen height (I19) | wages (J31) |
| adult height (I15) | wages (J31) |
| teen height (I19) | social participation (D71) |
| social participation (D71) | wages (J31) |
| teen height (I19) | human capital development (J24) |
| monetary benefits of height treatments (M52) | wages (J31) |