A Matter of Weight? Hours of Work of Married Men and Women and Their Relative Physical Attractiveness

Abstract

We explore the role of relative physical attractiveness within the household on the labor supply decisions of husbands and wives. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we find that husbands who are heavier relative to their wives work more hours, while wives who are thinner relative to their husbands work fewer hours. We also find a 9%-elasticity of annual hours of work with respect to own BMI for married men, and a 7%-elasticity with respect to wife's BMI. For married women, we find an 8%-elasticity of annual hours of work with respect to own BMI, and a 6%-elasticity with respect to husband.s BMI. While own BMI is positively related to own hours of work for married individuals, no statistically significant relationship emerges for either unmarried men or unmarried women.