American Economic Review Vol. 102 No. 7 2012

The Impact of Pollution on Worker Productivity

Joshua Graff Zivin¹; Matthew Neidell²

¹ University of California-San Diego, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and Department of Economics, 9500 Gilman Dr. 0519, La Jolla, CA 92093, and NBER. · ² Columbia University, Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, 600 W. 168th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10032, and NBER.

Abstract

This paper assesses the impact of pollution on worker productivity by relating exogenous daily variations in ozone with productivity of agricultural workers as recorded under piece rate contracts. We find robust evidence that ozone levels well below federal air quality standards have a significant impact on productivity. These results suggest that, in contrast to common characterizations of environmental protection as a tax on producers, environmental protection can also be viewed as an investment in human capital, and thus a tool for promoting economic growth.

DOI

10.1257/aer.102.7.3652

Volume

102

Issue

7

Pages

3652-3673

Language

en

Sources

bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

Cite

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