Labor activism over searing heat

Yi Huang and Yanjun Li

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2023, vol. 122, issue C

Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between high temperatures and the often overlooked conflict type of labor unrest, with evidence from China during the extended summer. Each additional hot day in a month, identified by daily average temperatures exceeding the average for that calendar month throughout the study period, leads to a 3% increase in labor unrest incidence, a 13.5% higher probability, and a 5% increase in its size the following month. We analyze effect heterogeneity by action type, firm ownership, industry, and region. Furthermore, we provide supporting evidence for pathways connecting high temperatures to labor unrest, involving firms’ lost profits and workers’ psychological and physiological stress.

Keywords: Labor unrest; Collective action; Temperature; Heatwaves; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 J52 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:122:y:2023:i:c:s0095069623001067

DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2023.102888

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