Wildfires and Agricultural Worker Movement

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists
Year: 2025
Volume: 12
Issue: 6
Pages: 1459 - 1492

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We study the effect of wildfire smoke on farmworker labor outcomes in California. Using high-frequency individual-location data, we find that labor declines at both the extensive and intensive margins on days when fields are affected by wildfire smoke. On smoky days, the number of workers in a field is reduced by 17.51% and working hours are reduced by 23.12%, relative to days without smoke. Estimated effects are largest for labor-intensive crops. Farmworkers are more likely to be observed in a field immediately before smoke events and less likely to be observed after. They are also more likely to work in other fields when their primary worksite is treated. Results highlight the significant effects of wildfire smoke on farmworker labor outcomes, showing reductions in work activities and the adoption of substitution behaviors among a marginalized and hard-to-survey group.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jaerec:doi:10.1086/733350
Journal Field
Environment
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24