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The Impact of Obesity on Wages: The Role of Personal Interactions and Job Selection

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  • Andrea Moro
  • Sebastian Tello‐Trillo
  • Tommaso Tempesti

Abstract

We estimate the effects of obesity on wages accounting for the endogenous selection of workers into jobs requiring different levels of personal interactions in the workplace. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 combined with detailed information about occupation characteristics from O*Net, we confirm the results from the literature finding a wage penalty for obese White women. This penalty is higher in jobs that require a high level of personal interactions. Accounting for job selection does not significantly change the estimated wage penalty.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Moro & Sebastian Tello‐Trillo & Tommaso Tempesti, 2019. "The Impact of Obesity on Wages: The Role of Personal Interactions and Job Selection," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 33(2), pages 125-146, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:labour:v:33:y:2019:i:2:p:125-146
    DOI: 10.1111/labr.12145
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    Cited by:

    1. Dolado, Juan J & Guerra, Airam, 2021. "Uncovering the Roots of Obesity-based Wage Discrimination: The Role of Job Characteristics," CEPR Discussion Papers 16785, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. He, Jun & Xie, Yongxiang, 2022. "The sociocultural mechanism of obesity: The influence of gender role attitudes on obesity and the gender gap," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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