MELBOURNE–Tall people earn higher wages than their vertically challenged counterparts while being obese does not mean a slimmed-down pay packet, according to a new study in Australia.
The researchers found a strong link between wages and height, particularly for men, with each additional 10 centimeters (four inches) of height adding three percent to hourly wages.
The “height premium” was two percent per 10 centimeters for women, researchers from the University of Sydney and Canberra’s Australian National University (ANU) found.
They calculated that every five centimeters (two inches) above the average height of 178 centimenters (5 feet 10 inches) boosted a male’s wages by the equivalent of an extra year’s experience in the labor force.
“This result holds constant across a number of other factors that also affect wages, such as age, race, family background, experience and education,” said ANU professor Andrew Leigh.
The researchers, who examined health and income data from almost 20,000 Australians, also found that being overweight did not mean a lighter pay packet — in contrast to previous studies.
“We were surprised to find that there seemed to be no wage penalty to being overweight or obese in the Australian labor market,” Leigh said.
“This is in contrast with previous studies that used older data from the United States and Germany and found that people with higher (body mass index) earned lower wages.”
He said one explanation may be that because fat Australians were now in the majority, they did not face discrimination in the workplace.–Agence France-Presse
June 2025
Philippine Environment Month!
“Action for Nature, for the Future!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
1 Jun – World Day of Parents
5 Jun – World Environment Day
7 Jun – World Food Safety Day
8 Jun – World Oceans Day
12 Jun – World Day Against Child Labour
15 Jun – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
16 Jun – International Day of Family Remittances
17 Jun – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
20 Jun – World Refugee Day
25 Jun – Day of the Seafarer
27 Jun – Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day
Daily Observances:
June 6: Migrant Workers Day
June 19: Filipino Youth Day
June 25: Day of the Filipino Seafarer
