Pretty unequal? Immigrant-native differences in returns to physical attractiveness in Germany

Joshua Hellyer, Emily Hellriegel, Johanna Gereke and Reinhard Schunck

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2023, vol. 215, issue C, 107-119

Abstract: How do the economic returns to physical attractiveness vary between immigrants and natives? Despite a growing literature on the beauty premium, previous scholarship has not examined whether the size of this premium might vary according to immigrant status, an important axis of social stratification in European societies. We study this question in the German labor market using longitudinal data from a large, randomly drawn nationwide sample that includes interviewer ratings of respondents’ physical attractiveness. Results from a multiverse analysis provide strong evidence of a beauty premium for native German men and women. However, we find mixed results for ethnic minority groups. These results highlight how perceived physical attractiveness is linked to labor market stratification.

Keywords: Beauty premium; Physical attractiveness; Labor market; Ethnic inequality; Multiverse analysis; Germany (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J31 J61 J71 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:215:y:2023:i:c:p:107-119

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2023.09.012

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