The Economic Toll of Heatwaves on France's Workforce
Heatwaves in France are causing significant economic damage, with losses estimated between €22 billion and €37 billion.
Key Points
- • Economic losses from heatwaves range from €22 billion to €37 billion from 2015 to 2020.
- • Productivity decreases by 50% once temperatures exceed 33°C, severely impacting outdoor jobs.
- • The 2003 heatwave caused economic losses of €15 billion to €20 billion, reducing growth by up to 0.2 points.
- • French workers tend to make up for productivity losses throughout the year.
Recent evaluations highlight the substantial economic impact of heatwaves in France, with losses ranging from €22 billion to €37 billion between 2015 and 2020. This staggering toll equates to a loss of €814 per inhabitant, as workplaces grapple with declining productivity during extreme heat conditions. According to the International Labour Organization, employee productivity plummets by 50% once temperatures rise above 33°C, particularly affecting outdoor and service-related jobs such as caregiving, landscaping, and hairstyling.
The situation is exacerbated during heatwaves, with certain sectors experiencing daily work stoppages. Olivia Détroyat, an economic journalist, notes that physical labor jobs in agriculture and construction are among the most severely impacted, as performance begins to decline even at temperatures of 25°C. Furthermore, globally, extreme heat has resulted in a staggering 153 billion hours of work lost, signaling a widespread crisis in productivity.
Historically, the summer heatwave of 2003 serves as a stark reminder of the potential economic damage, costing the French economy between €15 billion and €20 billion, which corresponded to a reduction in growth of 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points. Despite these significant economic losses, Détroyat points out that French workers tend to adjust, often compensating for the productivity shortfalls during the remainder of the year. As heatwaves become increasingly common, their effects on the economy and the workforce prompt a critical need for strategies to mitigate these losses and protect vulnerable sectors.