Study links workplace appearance to 5–10% pay gap between co-workers

A study titled "Beauty and the Labor Market" found that workers rated as less attractive earn 5 to 10 percent less than their colleagues, with the pay gap affecting both men and women. A report published in The Guardian described a lawyer who spent thousands of dollars a month on procedures including Botox and, according to the report, subsequently received more cases and television appearances. A colleague who did not invest similarly in appearance earned 30 to 40 percent less, the paper reported. In a separate experiment in Saudi Arabia, 280 recruiters were shown job-applicant photographs in which smiles and dental appearance were deliberately altered. Candidates shown with decayed teeth were rejected at a rate 52 percent higher than those presented with a well-maintained smile. The findings point to appearance shaping both hiring decisions and ongoing earnings, though the researchers noted that workplace skills and experience remain primary factors in pay determination.