Productivity Loss amid Invisible Pollution

Arbeitspapier

Ground-level ozone is a continuing problem worldwide, but research on the influences of ozone pollution on labour productivity in developing countries is insufficient. We investigate the effect of ozone pollution on outdoor worker productivity in the service sector using a unique panel dataset of courier productivities from a top five express company in China. Using an instrumental variable constructed from ozone pollution of upwind nearby cities, we find that a one-standard-deviation increase in daily ozone pollution decreases courier productivity by 8.91%. The same increase in ozone in the previous 30 days decreases worker productivity by 37.9%.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: GLO Discussion Paper ; No. 722

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products ; Socialist Systems and Transitional Economies: Factor and Product Markets; Industry Studies; Population ; Socialist Systems and Transitional Economies: Natural Resources; Energy; Environment ; Valuation of Environmental Effects ; Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
• Subject: ozone pollution ; air pollution ; labour productivity ; outdoor workers ; contemporaneous effect ; cumulative effect ; express delivery industry

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Wang, Chunchao ; Lin, Qianqian ; Qiu, Yun
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Global Labor Organization (GLO)
• (where): Essen
• (when): 2020

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/226371
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET