Jumping
mechanic-wise? yes. There is no difference as far as how high characters can jump or how far or hard they can swing a weapon.
Np. A-nets philosophy is that they wanted your choice of race to be largely based on flavor, so even the racials are subpar compared to the class skills.
Most of the racial skills are subpar.
I still use Radiation Field on my main (necro with Spite 6, Curses 4, and Soul Reaping 4). It pairs well with my staff skills and Well of Suffering.