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The Impact of Childhood Health on Adult Labor Market Outcomes

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  • Smith, James P.

    (RAND)

Abstract

This paper examines impacts of childhood health on SES outcomes observed during adulthood-levels and trajectories of education, family income, household wealth, individual earnings and labor supply. The analysis is conducted using data that collects these SES measures in a panel who were originally children and who are now well into their adult years. Since all siblings are in the panel, one can control for unmeasured family and neighborhood background effects. With the exception of education, poor childhood health has a quantitatively large effect on all these outcomes. Moreover, these estimated effects are larger when unobserved family effects are controlled.

Suggested Citation

  • Smith, James P., 2009. "The Impact of Childhood Health on Adult Labor Market Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 4274, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4274
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    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp4274.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Becker, Gary S & Tomes, Nigel, 1976. "Child Endowments and the Quantity and Quality of Children," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 84(4), pages 143-162, August.
    2. repec:pri:cheawb:case_paxson_economic_status_paper is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Janet Currie & Mark Stabile, 2003. "Socioeconomic Status and Child Health: Why Is the Relationship Stronger for Older Children?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(5), pages 1813-1823, December.
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    7. Smith, James P, 1998. "Socioeconomic Status and Health," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(2), pages 192-196, May.
    8. James P. Smith, 1999. "Healthy Bodies and Thick Wallets: The Dual Relation between Health and Economic Status," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 13(2), pages 145-166, Spring.
    9. Douglas Almond & Kenneth Y. Chay & David S. Lee, 2005. "The Costs of Low Birth Weight," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(3), pages 1031-1083.
    10. Arie Kapteyn & James P. Smith & Arthur Van Soest, 2004. "Self-reported Work Disability in the US and The Netherlands," Working Papers WR-206, RAND Corporation.
    11. Currie, Alison & Shields, Michael A. & Wheatley Price, Stephen, 2004. "Is the Child Health / Family Income Gradient Universal? Evidence from England," IZA Discussion Papers 1328, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Case, Anne & Fertig, Angela & Paxson, Christina, 2005. "The lasting impact of childhood health and circumstance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 365-389, March.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    labor market outcomes; childhood health;

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J00 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - General

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