Worldwide job losses due to natural hazards

This study quantifies job losses due to floods, earthquakes, wind, storm surges, tsunamis, and heat across 132 countries, using a full-time job equivalent loss estimation approach. The results show that fast-onset natural shocks cause 9.4 million job equivalent losses annually on average, predominantly due to earthquakes and floods, with burdens concentrated in East Asia and the Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, extreme heat was associated with 79.7 million job equivalent losses annually across 114 countries between 2015 and 2024, with the burdens concentrated in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Yet, average annual job losses can be significantly lower than losses from specific extreme events, for instance, with 1-in-100-year hazard events resulting in losses that exceed average annual job losses by a factor of over 10. Overall, low-income countries experience the highest job loss rate per capita. Within countries, the poorest population group bears a disproportionate share of job equivalent losses. Results highlight the urgent need for targeted adaptation and resilience measures that safeguard workers, jobs, and productivity to support economic development.