Occupation and temperature-related mortality in Mexico
<h3>Abstract</h3> We investigate how occupation influences temperature-related mortality in Mexico. Using decades of nationwide death and weather data, we find that temperature-related mortality risk varies sharply by occupation. Young adults in climate-exposed jobs experience significantly higher heat risk: a 15-24-year-old agricultural worker is over 10 × more likely to die from heat than an age-group peer in professional/managerial employment. Cold temperatures also increase mortality, especially for older non-workers. Our results suggest that occupational safety and adaptation policies may protect vulnerable workers from death and that ongoing economic shifts away from exposed sectors may moderate future heat-related mortality.
Authors
- Luis Sarmiento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8780-878X)
- Jeffrey Shrader (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8981-0450)
- Anna Papp
- Andrew J. Wilson
- R. Daniel Bressler
Institutions
- Bentley University (US)
- Bank of Mexico (MX)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment (IT)
- Center For Policy Research (US)
- CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (IT)
- Global Policy Institute (US)
- University of Virginia (US)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Columbia University (US)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Journal of Human Resources
- Published
- 2026-01-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0325-14131r2
- Primary Topic
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation