Here's How Testosterone May Affect Your Job

The primary sex hormone in males is known to be responsible for general health, mood, and behaviour in both sexes. However, it seems it can also have a certain effect on one's employment.

Increased levels of testosterone in men might reduce the risk unemployment and bolster ones chances of landing a job, according to a new study published in the journal Economics & Human Biology.

"The evidence on the health consequences of high or low testosterone levels is somewhat inconclusive. As such, testosterone is an example for a biological process that might influence economic behavior without necessarily relating to health or disability," noted study author Peter Eibich, the deputy head of the Research Group on Labor Demography at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research.

In order to examine the influence of testosterone levels on the labour market, researchers analysed data from 2,115 men aged between 25 and 64. All of them described themselves as being either employed or unemployed, but not self-employed.

Those with medium or high levels of testosterone were found to be more likely to report being employed.

“Our results suggest that British men with higher testosterone levels are less likely to become unemployed, and they are less likely to remain in unemployment if they are out of work,” Eibich told PsyPost. “This is likely due to differences in personality traits and behavior caused by testosterone. For example, we find that men with higher testosterone levels are more confident and reported that they were more likely to use the internet for their job search.”

It remains to be seen how testosterone levels affect labour market tendencies in females, the researchers said.