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Born or bred? The roles of nature and nurture for intergenerational persistence in labour market outcomes

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  • Marte E. S. Ulvestad

    (Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education)

  • Simen Markussen

    (Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research)

Abstract

Using a Norwegian sample of adoptees from South Korea, matched to a sample of Norwegian-born children, we study the intergenerational transmission of labour market outcomes, including earnings, disability insurance participation and sickness absence, as well as education. We find the nurture effect to be substantial for education, labour earnings, and sickness absence, but fairly small and insignificant for disability insurance participation. By carefully comparing adoptees to children living with their biological parents, we also estimate the shares of intergenerational transmission stemming from heritability and environmental factors. Across outcomes we find heritability to account for about 50–100% of intergenerational transmission.

Suggested Citation

  • Marte E. S. Ulvestad & Simen Markussen, 2023. "Born or bred? The roles of nature and nurture for intergenerational persistence in labour market outcomes," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(2), pages 1005-1047, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:36:y:2023:i:2:d:10.1007_s00148-021-00880-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-021-00880-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhao, Yuejun & Markussen, Simen & Røed, Knut, 2024. "School Starting Age and the Social Gradient in Educational Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 16851, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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