The June heatwave that hit the UK resulted in an estimated £1.15 billion loss to the UK economy and 24 million lost working hours, according to a study by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), alongside the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC).
As part of the study, a nationally representative sample of 1,950 adults across the UK were surveyed about the effects of the heatwave on their lives – addressing topics such as commuting, working hours, sleep etc – in the week commencing 22 June.
Reduced working hours
It found that respondents reported an average reduction of 0.47 working hours during the week, with those working in physically-demanding roles, such as construction and agriculture, reporting larger reductions in hours.
Elsewhere, some 3.6% of respondents, equivalent to around 1.25 million workers nationally, did not work at all during that week because of the heat. This accounted for a further eight million lost working hours.
“While £1 billion is lost overall, the greatest effects are borne by outdoor workers and those in physically demanding jobs, many of whom are among the lowest paid in the labour force,” commented Shouro Dasgupta, environmental economist at CMCC and visiting senior fellow at the Grantham Research Institute. “Extreme heat is widening existing inequalities in the labour force.”
Health impact
A majority (87%) of respondents also reported experiencing at least one health-related impact during the week in question, with disrupted sleep and increased tiredness while working among the main impacts, while a smaller percentage reported symptoms such as dizziness, fainting and a faster heartbeat.
Some 5% of respondents said that they sought medical attention, while 3% reported an accident or injury at work – of the latter, two thirds believed it was due to the hot weather.
“Our findings point to a country that remains insufficiently adapted to the changing climate,” added Elizabeth Robinson, director of the Grantham Research Institute. “The Government cannot continue to ignore extreme heat. Unless it acts now, and makes workplaces safer, we are likely to see growing impacts on workers’ productivity, health, and the economy.” Read more here.
