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Only the Fit Survive Recessions: Estimating Labor Market Penalties for the Obese Over the Business Cycle

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  • Rachel Inafuku

    (University of Hawaii)

Abstract

There is evidence of labor market discrimination against minority groups based on race, gender, beauty and other characteristics. Using two national surveys, I measure labor market differentials between obese and healthy weight workers over business cycle fluctuations. I find that during economic downturns, obese individuals experience larger declines in income relative to those who are not obese. These findings are robust to the inclusion of occupation fixed effects, suggesting the findings cannot be fully explained by obese workers selecting careers that tend to have greater sensitivity to business cycle fluctuations.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel Inafuku, 2022. "Only the Fit Survive Recessions: Estimating Labor Market Penalties for the Obese Over the Business Cycle," Working Papers 202201, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hai:wpaper:202201
    as

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    File URL: http://www.economics.hawaii.edu/research/workingpapers/WP_22-01.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • E29 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Other

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