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Beauty, Stature and the Labour Market: A British Cohort Study

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Author Info
 Harper, Barry
Abstract

The influence of physical appearance in the labour market is examined using longitudinal cohort data covering 11,407 individual born in Britain in 1958. Results show that physical appearance has a substantial effect on earnings and employment patterns for both men and women. Irrespective of gender, those who are assessed as unattractive or short, experience a significant earnings penalty. Tall men receive a pay premium while obese women experience a pay penalty. The bulk of the pay differential for appearance arises from employer discrimination, although we find evidence for productivity differences among occupations. The impact of physical appearance is also evident in the marriage market. Among women, those who are tall or obese are less likely to be married; while among men, lower marriage rates are found for those who are short or unattractive. Copyright 2000 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd

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Article provided by Department of Economics, University of Oxford in its journal Oxford Bulletin of Economics & Statistics.

Volume (Year): 62 (2000)
Issue (Month): 0 (Special Issue Dec.)
Pages: 771-800
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Handle: RePEc:bla:obuest:v:62:y:2000:i:0:p:771-800

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