The impact of Chernobyl on health and labour market performance

Hartmut Lehmann () and Jonathan Wadsworth

Journal of Health Economics, 2011, vol. 30, issue 5, 843-857

Abstract: Using longitudinal data from Ukraine we examine the extent of any long-lasting effects of exposure to the Chernobyl disaster on the health and labour market performance of the adult workforce. Variation in the local area level of radiation fallout from the Chernobyl accident is considered as a random exogenous shock with which to try to establish its causal impact on poor health, labour force participation, hours worked and wages. There appears to be a significant positive association between local area-level radiation dosage and perception of poor health, though much weaker associations between local area-level dosage and other specific self-reported health conditions. There is also some evidence to suggest that those who lived in areas more exposed to Chernobyl-induced radiation have significantly lower levels of labour market performance 20 years on.

Keywords: Chernobyl; Health; Labour Market performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H00 J00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Working Paper: The Impact of Chernobyl on Health and Labour Market Performance (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:30:y:2011:i:5:p:843-857

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2011.07.011

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