A physiological foundation for the nutrition-based efficiency wage model
Abstract
Drawing on recent research on allometric scaling and energy consumption, the present paper develops a nutrition-based efficiency wage model from first principles. The biologically micro-founded model allows us to address empirical criticism of the original nutrition-based efficiency wage model. By extending the model with respect to heterogeneity in worker body size and a physiologically founded impact of body size on productivity, we demonstrate that the nutrition-based efficiency wage model is compatible with the empirical regularity that taller workers simultaneously earn higher wages and are less likely to be unemployed in less developed economies. The theory also provides an answer to the question of why the height-unemployment association may disappear in the process of development. Copyright 2011 Oxford University Press 2010 All rights reserved, Oxford University Press.Download Info
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Bibliographic Info
Article provided by Oxford University Press in its journal Oxford Economic Papers.
Volume (Year): 63 (2011)
Issue (Month): 2 (April)
Pages: 232-253
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Klaus Prettner & David E. Bloom & Holger Strulik, 2012.
"Declining fertility and economic well-being: do education and health ride to the rescue?,"
PGDA Working Papers
8412, Program on the Global Demography of Aging.
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