Air Pollution and the Labor Market: Evidence from Wildfire Smoke

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Borgschulte, Mark; Molitor, David; Zou, Eric Yongchen
• 署名单位: University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; IZA Institute Labor Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research; University of Michigan System; University of Michigan
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01243
• 发表日期: 2024-11
• 页码: 1558-1575
• 关键词: particulate matter; economic consequences; productivity evidence; HEALTH; QUALITY; IMPACT; mortality; exposure; generation; emissions

摘要

We study how air pollution impacts the U.S. labor market by analyzing the effects of drifting wildfire smoke. We link satellite-based smoke plume data with labor market outcomes to estimate that an additional day of smoke exposure reduces quarterly earnings by about 0.1%. Extensive margin responses, including employment reductions and labor force exits, explain 13% of the overall earnings losses. The implied welfare costs from lost earnings due to air pollution exposure is on par with standard valuations of the mortality burden. The findings highlight the importance of labor market channels in air pollution policy responses.