“The Effects of the Generalized Use of Iodized Salt on Occupational Patterns in Switzerland”, 2015-12-15 (; backlinks; similar):
I estimate the long-term impact of the first large-scale nutritional supplementation program, salt iodization, which took place in Switzerland in the 1920s and 1930s. Iodized salt improved the health environment in utero, and it eradicated mental retardation caused by insufficient iodine intake. By exploiting variation in the pre-existing prevalence of iodine deficiency, as well as differences in the timing of the intervention across Swiss cantons, I show that cohorts born in previously highly deficient areas after the introduction of iodized salt were more likely to enter top-tier occupations with higher cognitive demands. As a result, wages of these cohorts were higher, accounting for about 1.9% of annual median earnings, or 2% of Swiss GDP per capita in 1991.
[Keywords: Iodine deficiency, cognitive ability, occupational choice, human capital, productivity]