The Burning Questions: Studying the Effect of Wildfire on Employment Outcomes Across Sectors in California

Research completed by Reilly Lombardi-Hackett, graduated 2020 with Honors in Economics.

Abstract of research: Wildfires in California are becoming increasingly common and intense. Decision makers at all levels are being faced with difficult decisions regarding protecting the socioeconomic health of communities impacted by wildfires. Additional insight into the impact of wildfires on local labor markets will be an important addition to the ongoing discussion around wildfire responses throughout the State and help us develop a more targeted recovery policy. I use fixed effects panel data regressions at a quarterly-sectoral level for California counties to isolate the impact of fires on employment and wages.