Too Hot to Work

As climate change brings one record-heat decade after another, these workers will increasingly find themselves in an impossible situation—having to choose between risking their lives to go to work or their livelihoods to stay safe.

If we don’t take action on climate change, extreme heat would cause tens of millions of outdoor workers in the US to risk losing a collective $55.4 billion in earnings each year by midcentury, a peer-reviewed Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis shows.

Even with bold action to limit emissions, outdoor workers would face severe and rising risks from extreme heat.

With economic and legal systems that routinely discount these workers’ health and safety, those working in outdoor occupations have little or no recourse. Policymakers and employers must take action now to protect them.