Natural hazards are not only destroying infrastructure and livelihoods they are quietly eroding employment on a massive scale, according to new global research that quantifies job losses linked to disasters and rising temperatures.
The study estimates that fast onset hazards such as floods, earthquakes, storms and tsunamis cause an average of 9.4 million full time job equivalent losses (JEL) every year across 132 countries. Among these, earthquakes and floods account for the largest share of employment disruption.
The burden is not evenly distributed. Regions such as East Asia and the Pacific, along with Sub-Saharan Africa, are experiencing the most severe job losses from these sudden disasters, reflecting both high exposure to hazards and limited resilience in labor markets.
However, the study highlights that slow onset climate stress particularly extreme heat is an even larger threat to global employment. Between 2015 and 2024, extreme heat alone was associated with an estimated 79.7 million job losses annually across 114 countries.
South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are the hardest hit by heat related productivity losses, where rising temperatures are reducing working hours, especially in outdoor and labor intensive sectors such as agriculture and construction.
Researchers also warn that annual averages may significantly underestimate the real economic shock of disasters. In rare but severe events such as once in a century floods or earthquakes job losses can surge dramatically, reaching levels up to 14 times higher than the yearly average.
The impact is especially harsh in low-income countries, where job loss rates per capita are highest. Within these countries, the poorest populations bear the greatest burden, as they are more likely to work in vulnerable sectors with limited social protection.
The findings underscore a critical gap in how disaster impacts are measured and addressed. While economic losses are often calculated in terms of infrastructure damage or GDP decline, the loss of jobs and the long-term effects on workers livelihoods remains underrecognized.
Experts say the results highlight an urgent need for targeted adaptation strategies, including climate-resilient infrastructure, improved labor protections, and policies that safeguard employment during and after disasters.
As climate risks intensify, protecting jobs is becoming as important as protecting assets making employment resilience a central pillar of sustainable economic development.