Obesity, Attractiveness, and Differential Treatment in Hiring: A Field Experiment

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Human Resources
Year: 2009
Volume: 44
Issue: 3

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This study presents evidence of differential treatment in the hiring of obese individuals in the Swedish labor market. Fictitious applications were sent to real job openings. The applications were sent in pairs, where one facial photo of an otherwise identical applicant was manipulated to show the individual as obese. Applications sent with the weight-manipulated photo had a significantly lower callback response for an interview: Six percentage points lower for men and eight percentage points lower for women. This differential treatment occurs differently for men and women: The results for men are driven by attractiveness, while the results for women are driven by obesity.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:uwp:jhriss:v:44:y:2009:i3:p710-735
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-29