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Uncovering the Roots of Obesity- Based Wage Discrimination: The Role of Job Characteristics

Author

Listed:
  • Juan Dolado

    (Dept. of Economics, UC3M)

  • Luigi Minale

    (Dept. of Economics, UC3M)

  • Airam Guerra

    (Dept. of Economics, UC3M)

Abstract

This paper investigates the roots of potential labour-market discrimination underlying the negative correlation between obesity and hourly wages. Using a panel dataset of white individuals drawn from the U.S. 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97), we test whether residual wage gaps could be attributed to prejudice (taste-based discrimination) and/or statistical discrimination. To this end, we examine how these two types of discrimination hinge on a wide range of obese individuals’ specific job and occupational characteristics (drawn from the O*Net Online database). In particular, our analysis sheds light on whether discrimination originates from clients’ attitudes, fellow workers or employers. Our findings are consistent with taste-based discrimination against obese females, especially as they become older, in jobs requiring frequent communication with either clients or employers. However, the evidence on this issue is weaker for males. We conjecture that these differences may originate from both an over-representation of males among employers and different image concerns against people of the same gender.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Dolado & Luigi Minale & Airam Guerra, 2023. "Uncovering the Roots of Obesity- Based Wage Discrimination: The Role of Job Characteristics," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2312, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    • Handle: RePEc:crm:wpaper:2312
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Obesity; Wages; Discrimination; Job Characteristics; NLSY97; O*Net Online;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General

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