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Susan L. Averett

Lafayette College, USA, and IZA, Germany

This project is a great way for academic experts to communicate their insights to a wide audience in an accessible manner. IZA World of Labor articles will be an essential read for policymakers and engaged citizens

IZA World of Labor role

Author

Current position

Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics, Lafayette College, USA

Research interest

Labor market consequences of obesity, economics of risky behavior, children’s cognitive development, health consequences of marriage/cohabitation

Website

http://bit.ly/Averett_IZApage

Qualifications

PhD Economics, University of Colorado, 1991

Selected publications

  • "Obesity and labor market performance." In: Wright, J. D. (ed.). International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, second edition, Vol. 17. Oxford: Elsevier, 2015; pp. 70–74.

  • “Indebted and overweight: The link between BMI and household debt.” Economics and Human Biology (2014) (with J. K. Smith).

  • “Immigration, obesity and labor market outcomes in the UK." IZA Journal of Migration 1:1 (2012): 1–19 (with L. M. Argys and J. Kohn).

  • “Obesity, poverty and the ability to pay for calories." In: Jefferson, P. N. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Poverty. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.

  • “Labor market consequences: employment, wages, disability, and absenteeism.” In: Cawley, J. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the Social Science of Obesity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011; pp. 531–552.

article(s)

  • Obesity and labor market outcomes Updated

    The hidden private costs of obesity: lower earnings and a lower probability of employment

    Susan L. Averett, August 2019
    Rising obesity is a pressing global public health problem responsible for rising health care costs and in some countries one of the leading causes of preventable deaths. There is substantial evidence that obese people are less likely to be employed and, when employed, earn lower wages. There is some evidence that the lower earnings are a result of discriminatory hiring and sorting into jobs with less customer contact. Understanding whether obesity is associated with adverse labor market outcomes and ascertaining the source of these outcomes are essential for designing effective public policy.
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