Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1
Logarithm of average annual earnings by height, cognitive skill, noncognitive skill, and handgrip strength. Total population. 28–38 years old in 2003
Notes: The upper-left graph shows average earnings for each centimeter in height. Cognitive skill is the enlistment test score in cognitive ability and the upper-right graph shows average earnings for every value of the cognitive test score (1–9). Noncognitive skill is the psychological evaluation when enlisting and the lower-left graph shows average earnings for every value of the noncognitive measure (1–9). The lower-right graph shows average earnings for every integer of the handgrip strength score.
- Figure 2
Average cognitive skill, noncognitive skill and handgrip strength by height. Total population. 28–38 years old in 2003
Notes: The height variable has been trimmed at the 1st and 99th percentile. Cognitive skill is the enlistment test score in cognitive ability, Noncognitive skill is the psychological evaluation when enlisting, and Handgrip strength is the enlistment test result when squeezing a dynamometer with the strongest hand. The graphs show average skills/strength for each centimeter in height.
- Figure 3
The distribution of the within-family difference in height, cognitive, and noncognitive skills
Notes: The within-family difference is calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum value for each variable—that is, between brothers. 92 percent of the data consists of just two brothers within a family.
- Figure 4
The height-earnings association. Total population data. Model A
Notes: Earning differences relative to height = 180 cm (reference line). Data end coded at bottom/top 1 percent of the height distribution. This regression model corresponds to Model A in Table 2, exchanging the continuous height variable with centimeter fixed effects.
- Figure 5
The height-earnings association. Total population data. Model G
Notes: This regression model uses the full set of variables (corresponds to Model G in Table 2), exchanging the continuous height variable with centimeter fixed effects.
Tables
- Table 1
Descriptive Statistics of the Population Divided at Median Height. Men 28–38 Years Old, 2003.
Variable − 179 cm 180 cm − Height in cm 174.4 (3.8) 184.7 (4.0) Logarithm annual earnings 12.30 (0.79) 12.36 (0.78) Age 33.2 (3.2) 33.0 (3.2) Cognitive skill 5.0 (1.9) 5.4 (1.9) Noncognitive skill 4.9 (1.8) 5.2 (1.8) Handgrip strength 591.38 (89.91) 641.03 (95.84) Parental characteristics: Father’s (log) earnings 11.04 (0.50) 11.08 (0.50) Mother’s (log) earnings 9.82 (1.25) 9.86 (1.23) Father’s years of schooling 11.2 (2.2) 11.4 (2.3) Mother’s years of schooling 11.2 (2.1) 11.4 (2.3) Number of observations 225,268 223,434 Notes: Standard deviations in parentheses. The variables measuring cognitive skills, noncognitive skills, and handgrip strength are standardized when used in the empirical analysis.
- Table 2
The Height-Earnings Association per 10 cm Height Increase. Men 28–38 Years Old, 2003. Logarithm of Annual Earnings.
Variable A B C D E F G H Height 0.062***
(0.002)0.052***
(0.002)0.062***
(0.003)0.042***
(0.006)0.028***
(0.006)0.022***
(0.005)0.015***
(0.006)0.009
(0.006)Parental characteristics Father’s (log) earnings — 0.132***
(0.003)— — — — — — Mother’s (log) earnings — 0.001
(0.001)— — — — — — Father’s years of schooling — 0.007***
(0.001)— — — — — — Mother’s years of schooling 0.008***
(0.001)Cognitive skill — — — — 0.101***
(0.004)0.077***
(0.004)0.077***
(0.004)(0.019)***
(0.004)Noncognitive skill — — — — — 0.075***
(0.003)0.074***
(0.003)0.047***
(0.003)Handgrip strength — — — — — — 0.013***
(0.003)0.015***
(0.003)Reduction (%) in the Model A height-earnings association 16 0 32 55 65 76 85 Occupation fixed effects No No No No No No No Yes Sibling fixed effects No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes R squared 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.20 Number of cases 448,702 448,702 145,210 145,210 145,210 145,210 145,210 145,210 Notes: Columns A through C report estimates from the regression model: Log Earningsi = a + b*Heightj + c*Xi + ei using the total population data. Model A only includes height and age fixed effects and is estimated using OLS, while Model B adds the parental variables. Model C contains height and age fixed effects for the sibling sample and is estimated using OLS. Columns D through H report estimates from the regression model: Log Earningsij = a + b*Heightij + c*Xij + fj + eij using the sibling sample. Model D adds sibling fixed effects to Model C and is estimated using the xtreg command in Stata 11. Model E then also adds cognitive skill, while Model F adds noncognitive skill to model E. Model G adds handgrip strength to Model F and, finally, Model H adds occupation fixed effects to Model G.
↵*** p-value < 0.01,
** p-value < 0.05,
* p-value < 0.10.
- Table 3
The Height-Earnings Association at Different Height Intervals. Men 28–38 Years Old, 2003. Logarithm of Annual Earnings. Sibling Sample.
Height-earnings association (per 10 cm increase) at: A B C D E F 165–172 centimeters 0.132***
(0.018)0.098***
(0.023)0.071***
(0.023)0.058**
(0.023)0.050**
(0.023)0.033
(0.021)173–180 centimeters 0.072***
(0.009)0.050***
(0.013)0.037***
(0.013)0.030**
(0.013)0.023**
(0.013)0.015
(0.012)181–188 centimeters 0.041***
(0.010)0.034**
(0.014)0.022
(0.014)0.016
(0.014)0.010
(0.014)0.001
(0.013)189–195 centimeters 0.013
(0.019)-0.031
(0.026)-0.035
(0.026)-0.035
(0.026)-0.040
(0.026)-0.015)
(0.024)Sibling fixed effects No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Occupation fixed effects No No No No No Yes Number of cases 145,210 Notes: Columns B through F report estimates from the regression model: Log Earningsij = a + b*Heighij + c*Xij + fj + eij using the sibling sample. Height is in this specification modeled as having four different slopes at the intervals 165–72, 173–80, 181–88, and 189–95 using the mkspline function in Stata. Model A contains height and age fixed effects for the sibling sample and is estimated using OLS. Model B adds sibling fixed effects and is estimated using the xtreg command in Stata 11. Model C adds cognitive skill, while Model D adds cognitive and noncognitive skill to Model B. Model E adds handgrip strength to Model D. Finally, Model F adds occupation fixed effects to Model E.
↵*** p-value < 0.01,
↵** p-value < 0.05,
* p-value < 0.10.
