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Height and Earnings: The Role of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills

Lundborg, Petter LU ; Nystedt, Paul and Rooth, Dan-Olof (2014) In Journal of Human Resources 49(1). p.141-166
Abstract
We use large-scale register data on 450,000 Swedish males who underwent mandatory military enlistment at age 18, and a subsample of 150,000 siblings, to examine why tall people earn more. We show the importance of both cognitive and noncognitive skills, as well as family background and muscular strength for the height-earnings relationship. In addition, we show that a substantial height premium remains after these factors have been accounted for, which originates from very short people having low earnings. This is mostly explained by the sorting of short people into low-paid occupations, which may indicate discrimination by stature.
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Human Resources
volume
49
issue
1
pages
141 - 166
publisher
University of Wisconsin Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000331498500005
  • scopus:84894047892
ISSN
0022-166X
DOI
10.3368/jhr.49.1.141
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
32d8c6ef-40fb-4616-aeff-703166d96dda (old id 4367234)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:45:11
date last changed
2022-04-21 23:21:19
@article{32d8c6ef-40fb-4616-aeff-703166d96dda,
  abstract     = {{We use large-scale register data on 450,000 Swedish males who underwent mandatory military enlistment at age 18, and a subsample of 150,000 siblings, to examine why tall people earn more. We show the importance of both cognitive and noncognitive skills, as well as family background and muscular strength for the height-earnings relationship. In addition, we show that a substantial height premium remains after these factors have been accounted for, which originates from very short people having low earnings. This is mostly explained by the sorting of short people into low-paid occupations, which may indicate discrimination by stature.}},
  author       = {{Lundborg, Petter and Nystedt, Paul and Rooth, Dan-Olof}},
  issn         = {{0022-166X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{141--166}},
  publisher    = {{University of Wisconsin Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Human Resources}},
  title        = {{Height and Earnings: The Role of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3368/jhr.49.1.141}},
  doi          = {{10.3368/jhr.49.1.141}},
  volume       = {{49}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}