Biomarkers and long-term labour market outcomes: The case of creatine

Abstract

Using the Young Finns Study (YFS) combined with the Finnish Linked Employer-Employee Data (FLEED) we show that quantities of creatine measured in 1980 prior to labour market entry affect labour market outcomes over the period 1990-2010. Those with higher levels of creatine (proxied by urine creatinine) prior to labour market entry spend more time in the labour market in the subsequent two decades and earn more. Creatine is not associated with high educational attainment. The associations between creatine and labour market outcomes are robust to controlling for other biomarkers, educational attainment and parental background. Creatine is a naturally occurring nitrogenous organic acid which supplies energy to body cells, including muscles. Our findings are consistent with high energy levels, induced by creatine, leading to productivity-enhancing traits such as a high propensity for effort, perseverance, and high-commitment.

Creatine and entrepreneurship

“…Our findings for capital income are in line with (Böckerman et al 2014) who show that creatine influences total income, earnings and employment years. Our findings for capital income-as our measure of entrepreneurial success-fit well with Böckerman et al's findings and the reasoning that creatine can affect performance and thus enhance labour market rewards.…”

“…Therefore, greater effort intensity may result in labour market outcomes in which great effort is needed and rewarded as creatine reduces (increases) the costs (returns) to effort. For example, creatine has been linked to total income, earnings and employment years (Böckerman et al 2014). Entrepreneurship is associated with high social status in many countries (Kelley et al 2011) and typically requires greater physical effort than working as an employee (Buttner 1992;Stephan and Roesler 2010).…”

The biometric antecedents to happiness

“…This is important in order to support statistical power. Fourth, in order to relate our work to earlier research using the YFS we use the same biomarkers as in earlier work [ 30 ].…”

Do socioeconomic health gradients persist over time and beyond income? A distributional analysis using UK biomarker data

“…The advantages of biomarkers are being acknowledged by a growing literature in economics (Davillas and Pudney, 2020;Böckerman et al, 2017;Carrieri and Jones, 2017;Jürges et al, 2013).…”