Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/106546 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2014
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 8606
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Previous studies have shown that both height and weight are associated with wages. However, by focusing on interpreting the partial effects of either height or weight on wages while holding all else constant, some gaps in our understanding of the complex relationship between body size and wages remain. Utilizing a semi-parametric spline approach, we first establish that a flexible analysis of height and weight provides a useful and meaningful proxy for beauty. A similar flexible analysis of height, weight and wages reveals that some combinations of anthropometric measurements attract higher wage premiums than others and that the optimal combination varies over the life cycle. A main contribution of the paper is in suggesting a novel and practical way of examining the returns to looks in the labor market based on objective anthropometric measurements.
Subjects: 
height
P-spline
semi-parametric
wages
weight
JEL: 
J31
J71
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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