Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/80523 
Year of Publication: 
2013
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 7424
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We use twin data matched to register-based individual information on earnings and employment to examine the effect of height on life-time labor market outcomes. The use of twin data allows us to remove otherwise unobserved ability and other differences. The twin pair difference estimates from instrumental variables estimation for genetically identical twins reveal a significant height-wage premium for women but not for men. This result implies that cognitive ability explains the effect of height on life-time earnings for men. Additional findings using capital income as the outcome variable suggest that discrimination against short persons may play a role for women.
Subjects: 
height
weight
BMI
height premium
earnings
employment
JEL: 
I10
J23
J31
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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