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Why Europe Works Less and Grows Taller

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  • Thorvaldur Gylfason

Abstract

How well is the United States really doing? Money isn't everything, says this economist. He takes a broader look at the standard of living in the United States compared to other rich nations and finds the United States lags in several key ways, including the fact that Europeans are now taller on average than Americans. Greater tolerance of inequality in the distribution of income and wealth in the United States than in Europe may have taken its toll.

Suggested Citation

  • Thorvaldur Gylfason, 2007. "Why Europe Works Less and Grows Taller," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(1), pages 21-39.
    • Handle: RePEc:mes:challe:v:50:y:2007:i:1:p:21-39
    DOI: 10.2753/0577-5132500104
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alberto Alesina & Edward Glaeser & Bruce Sacerdote, 2005. "Work and Leisure in the U. S. and Europe: Why so Different?," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 2068, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    2. Edward C. Prescott, 2004. "Why do Americans work so much more than Europeans?," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, vol. 28(Jul), pages 2-13.
    3. Komlos, John & Baur, Marieluise, 2004. "From the tallest to (one of) the fattest: the enigmatic fate of the American population in the 20th century," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 57-74, March.
    4. World Bank, 2005. "African Development Indicators 2005," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13111.
    5. World Bank, 2005. "World Development Indicators 2005," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 12426.
    6. Olivier Blanchard, 2004. "The Economic Future of Europe," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(4), pages 3-26, Fall.
    7. Stefano Scarpetta & Andrea Bassanini & Dirk Pilat & Paul Schreyer, 2000. "Economic Growth in the OECD Area: Recent Trends at the Aggregate and Sectoral Level," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 248, OECD Publishing.
    8. World Bank, 2005. "World Development Indicators 2005," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 12425.
    9. Richard H. Steckel, 1995. "Stature and the Standard of Living," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 1903-1940, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Price, Gregory N., 2013. "The allometry of metabolism and stature: Worker fatigue and height in the Tanzanian labor market," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 515-521.
    2. Steckel, Richard H., 2009. "Heights and human welfare: Recent developments and new directions," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-23, January.
    3. Thorvaldur Gylfason, 2016. "Efficiency, Fairness, and Social Cohesion in Europe and the United States: Incomes, Hours of Work, and Equality with an Afterthought on Iceland," CESifo Working Paper Series 6025, CESifo.
    4. Jon D. Wisman & Kevin W. Capehart, 2010. "Creative Destruction, Economic Insecurity, Stress, and Epidemic Obesity," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 936-982, July.

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