As climate change drives temperatures higher across the globe, a new United Nations report is sounding the alarm over the increasing toll on workers’ health and efficiency. The joint analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shows that labor productivity drops by 2% to 3% for every degree Celsius above 20°C (68°F).
More than 2.4 billion workers worldwide are currently exposed to heat stress in the workplace. Among them, over one-third of those regularly working in high-heat environments suffer from physiological heat strain — linked to serious health conditions such as kidney impairment, dehydration, and neurological issues, according to Claims Journal.
Jobs in agriculture, construction, and other labor-intensive sectors face the greatest risk, the report states. Vulnerable populations in low-income regions — where access to cooling systems, healthcare, and protective labor regulations may be limited — are particularly endangered.
Chronic kidney disease tied to prolonged heat exposure is already a mounting concern. Data cited in the report indicate that as many as 15% of individuals exposed to six or more hours of heat stress daily over several months may experience kidney problems. In 2020 alone, an estimated 26.2 million people were living with kidney disease attributable to workplace heat stress.
Roughly 30% of workers facing extreme heat reported diminished productivity.
The report’s implications are especially relevant in tropical and equatorial regions. Singapore’s founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew, once credited air conditioning as the key technological driver behind the country’s economic rise — a notion echoed in the current findings linking cooling access to improved labor output.
As temperatures continue to rise, the report underscores the urgent need for policies and infrastructure to protect workers from the growing dangers of heat exposure.
