This research examined the impact of the 3 May 1999 tornado on the Oklahoma City labour market. We estimated time series models that allow for time-varying variance in employment growth. The models include intervention variables designed to capture the tornado's effect at initial impact as well as over the post-tornado period. In terms of total employment growth, the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) experienced an increase in employment growth and a reduction in labour market risk in the sample period following the tornado. The analysis also examined the effect of the weather event on eight industrial sectors. Five of eight sectors experienced significant decreases in labour market risk after the tornado. Our evidence suggests that Oklahoma City and surrounding communities that make up the Metropolitan Statistical Area survived the disaster without suffering any extended adverse labour market effects. Our results indicate that at least in the aggregate, the labour market improved. “… what has so often excited wonder, the great rapidity with which countries recover from a state of devastation; the disappearance, in a short time, of all traces of the mischiefs done by earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and the ravages of war … all the inhabitants are ruined, and yet in a few years after, everything is much as it was before.” - J.S. Mill (1848)
Download Info
To download:
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the
proper application to
view it first. Information about this may be contained
in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read
the IDEAS help
page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS
site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.
Publisher Info
Article provided by Taylor and Francis Journals in its journal Applied Economics.