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Record heatwaves have hit many countries across the globe this summer from the UK to Japan.
Politicians in the UK have warned that the current heatwave could become the new normal for UK summers by 2040 because of climate change.
How will this affect the labor market?
Marie Connolly writes that, “Previous work using US data has shown that people respond to short-term higher temperatures by reducing time spent at work and engaging in outdoor leisure, and by increasing indoor leisure.”
Connolly warns that, “…most of the research has focused on the US, whereas the impacts of climate change will be felt globally. Developing economies likely have fewer resources to invest in adaptive strategies with potentially substantial consequences for increasing inequality. Policies that facilitate adaption will help reduce associated costs. For example, allowing more flexible working hours would enable people to adapt more easily to hot temperatures, by shifting their working hours to cooler moments of the day or to cooler days.”
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