Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers
Creation-Date: 2022-09-07
Revision-Date: 2023-03-29
Number: 22-062/I
Author-Name: Thomas Buser
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Amsterdam
Author-Name: Rafael Ahlskog
Author-Workplace-Name: Uppsala University
Author-Name: Magnus Johannesson
Author-Workplace-Name: tockholm School of Economics
Author-Name: Sven Oskarsson
Author-Workplace-Name: Uppsala University
Title: Occupational sorting on genes
Abstract: Are genetic differences between people associated with their career choices? We link data from a large sample
of genotyped individuals to Swedish government register data on study major and occupation. Our data contains
polygenic indices that summarize genetic variants linked to several components of human capital: cognitive skills,
personality traits, mental health, and physical health. We present a detailed mapping of these genetic indices
by occupation and study major. We show that differences in genes associated with human capital across careers
are highly statistically significant. Rankings of majors and occupations differ strongly across indices, meaning
that genes associated with different traits predict entry into different careers. Our results shed new light on the
determinants of some of the most impactful decisions people must make in their lives.Classification-JEL: D91, J24
Keywords: personality traits, cognitive skills, behavioral genetics, labor markets, education
File-URL: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/22062.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 1.170.814 bytes
Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20220062