A study by researchers from the National University of Singapore Department of Economics ( NUS Economics ) has found a correlation between pollution and productivity of employees. The researchers, led by Associate Professor Alberto Salvo, gathered information from various factories in China and discovered that exposure to air pollution over several weeks can reduce employee productivity. The study, the first of its kind to examine prolonged exposure to air pollution, was published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics . Although most people are familiar with the negative impact of air pollution on health, as economists the team was interested in looking for other socioeconomic outcomes, said Assoc Prof Salvo. Our aim with this research was to broaden the understanding of air pollution in ways that have not been explored. We typically think that firms benefit from lax pollution regulations by saving on emission control equipment and the like; […]