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Riders in the Smog: How Air Pollution Affects Workers in Urban Environments

Author

Listed:
  • Giovanna D'Adda

  • Simone Ferro
  • Tommaso Frattini
  • Alessio Romarri

Abstract

Using large-scale high-granularity data from a food delivery platform and granular pollution and weather information, we study how PM2.5 fluctuations affect riders’ absenteeism, productivity, and accidents. Exploiting exogenous pollution variation from inverse boundary layer height, we find that higher pollution increases absenteeism for all workers and raises delivery times and accident rates only among (e-)bike riders, who must exert physical effort while working. Affected workers compensate productivity losses by working longer hours. Monetary incentives mitigate the effects on absenteeism but do not offset the decline in productivity and appear to exacerbate accident risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanna D'Adda & Simone Ferro & Tommaso Frattini & Alessio Romarri, 2026. "Riders in the Smog: How Air Pollution Affects Workers in Urban Environments," Development Working Papers 506, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano, revised 13 May 2026.
    • Handle: RePEc:csl:devewp:506
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects

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