Abstract
In previous research, we found that California’s 2005 heat standard was associated with a 33-51% reduction in heat-related deaths among outdoor workers. With roughly 3,000 such deaths in the United States in 2024, extending California’s heat protections across the country could prevent roughly 1,000 to 1,500 worker deaths per year. Opponents of heat standards claim that such regulations will negatively impact outdoor industries. Using the same methodological approach as our previous study, we examined the economic consequences of California’s heat standard in construction and agriculture from 1999 through 2020. We found no evidence that California’s heat standard negatively affected the state’s construction or agriculture sectors.
This research was funded by the Center for Labor and a Just Economy via the Jerry Wurf Memorial Fund.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Adam Dean is an Associate Professor of Political Science at George Washington University.
Jamie McCallum is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Middlebury College.
