The Effect of Adolescent Experience on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Height

TLDR

The study investigates how height influences wages and estimates the monetary benefits of a medical treatment that increases height in children. The authors exploit longitudinal variation in individual height and evaluate a medical intervention that raises height to assess wage effects. Taller workers earn higher wages, with the premium comparable to race and gender gaps, but the effect disappears when accounting for teen height, which is not driven by resources and is partly mediated by high‑school sports and clubs.

Abstract

Taller workers receive a wage premium. Net of differences in family background, the disparity is similar in magnitude to the race and gender gaps. We exploit variation in an individual’s height over time to explore how height affects wages. Controlling for teen height essentially eliminates the effect of adult height on wages for white men. The teen height premium is not explained by differences in resources or endowments. The teen height premium is partially mediated through participation in high school sports and clubs. We estimate the monetary benefits of a medical treatment for children that increases height.