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Height, Skills, and Labor Market Outcomes in Mexico

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  • Tom Vogl
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    Abstract

    Taller workers are paid higher wages. A prominent explanation for this pattern is that physical growth and cognitive development share childhood inputs, inducing a correlation between adult height and two productive skills: strength and intelligence. This paper explores the relative roles of strength and intelligence in explaining the labor market height premium in Mexico. While cognitive test scores account for a limited share of the height premium, roughly half of the premium can be attributed to the educational and occupational choices of taller workers. Taller workers obtain more education and sort into occupations with greater intelligence requirements and lower strength requirements, suggesting that the height premium partly reflects a return to cognitive skill.

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    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w18318.pdf
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    Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 18318.

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    Date of creation: Aug 2012
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    Publication status: published as “Height, Skills, and Labor Market Outcomes in Mexico.” Journal of Development Economics, March 2014, 107: 84-­‐‑96.
    Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18318
    Note: CH HE LS
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    Find related papers by JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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    2. Rosenzweig, Mark R. & Zhang, Junsen, 2012. "Economic Growth, Comparative Advantage, and Gender Differences in Schooling Outcomes: Evidence from the Birthweight Differences of Chinese Twins," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 323, Asian Development Bank.
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    11. Eric A. Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2008. "The Role of Cognitive Skills in Economic Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(3), pages 607-68, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. repec:esx:essedp:745 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Venkataramani, Atheendar, 2013. "Cognitive Development and Infectious Disease: Gender Differences in Investments and Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 7833, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    3. Böckerman, Petri & Vainiomäki, Jari, 2013. "Stature and life-time labor market outcomes: Accounting for unobserved differences," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 86-96.

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