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Early Life Health and Adult Earnings: Evidence from a Large Sample of Siblings and Twins

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  • Lundborg, Petter

    (Lund University)

  • Nilsson, Anton

    (Lund University)

  • Rooth, Dan-Olof

    (Stockholm University)

Abstract

We study the relationship between early life health and adult earnings using a unique dataset that covers almost the entire population of Swedish males born between 1950 and 1970. The health information is obtained from medical examinations during the mandatory military enlistment tests at age 18, which we have further linked to register data on adult earnings. We find that most types of major diagnoses have long-run effects on future earnings with the largest effects resulting from mental conditions. Including sibling fixed effects or twin-pair fixed effects reduces the magnitudes of the estimates, although remaining substantial.

Suggested Citation

  • Lundborg, Petter & Nilsson, Anton & Rooth, Dan-Olof, 2011. "Early Life Health and Adult Earnings: Evidence from a Large Sample of Siblings and Twins," IZA Discussion Papers 5804, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5804
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lundborg, Petter & Nilsson, Anton & Rooth, Dan-Olof, 2012. "Parental Education and Offspring Outcomes: Evidence from the Swedish Compulsory Schooling Reform," IZA Discussion Papers 6570, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Petter Lundborg & Carl Hampus Lyttkens & Paul Nystedt, 2016. "The Effect of Schooling on Mortality: New Evidence From 50,000 Swedish Twins," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(4), pages 1135-1168, August.
    3. Richard Layard, 2013. "Mental health: the new frontier for labour economics," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Petter Lundborg & Anton Nilsson & Dan-Olof Rooth, 2014. "Parental Education and Offspring Outcomes: Evidence from the Swedish Compulsory School Reform," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 253-278, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health; earnings; specific conditions; siblings; twins;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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