Abstract

Men and women are segregated in the labor market, and males are physically stronger than women. Using population-wide data on male strength – as measured at the Swedish military conscription around age 18 – we document a clear link between the two phenomena: Men in male-dominated occupations (industries, firms, jobs) tend to be stronger. Stronger men are more likely to pursue vocational education tracks, leading to more gender-segregated occupations. However, stronger men have more male coworkers even when comparing men who work in the same occupation, but at different firms. Strength predicts higher marriage and fertility rates but is unrelated to key labor market outcomes such as employment, wages, and firm quality. This suggests that rather than productive traits, it is norms and identity concerns that may be driving the sorting of strong men.

Co-authors: Christoph Hedtrich and Oskar Nordström Skans.