Hurricane swirling over coastal city affecting people job

Is Your Job Hurricane-Proof? Unveiling the Surprising Impact of Storms on US Employment

Jordan Keane in Business & Economy December 2025 • 4 min read.

"A new study reveals the hidden vulnerabilities in the US job market when hurricanes strike, offering insights into which sectors are most at risk and how to prepare."

Hurricanes are known for their devastating physical and economic impacts. Beyond the immediate destruction, these powerful storms can also trigger significant shifts in employment, leaving some sectors vulnerable while others experience unexpected growth. Understanding these employment dynamics is crucial for workers, business owners, and policymakers alike.

A groundbreaking study from the University of Illinois and Nanyang Technological University delves deep into the short-term employment impacts of hurricanes across the United States from 1990 to 2020. Unlike previous research that focused on specific regions or individual storms, this study utilizes a comprehensive, open-source dataset offering unprecedented spatial and temporal detail.

This analysis uncovers surprising trends, revealing which industries are most susceptible to job losses, how different regions respond, and the potential for predictive modeling to mitigate the economic fallout. By understanding these vulnerabilities, individuals and communities can take proactive steps to build resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and intense storms.

The Unexpected Employment Rollercoaster: Which Industries Suffer Most?

Hurricane swirling over coastal city affecting people job

The study's findings reveal a complex and nuanced picture of hurricane-related employment disruptions. While the initial impact often appears small on average at the county level, some areas experience significant job losses, particularly after extreme storms. This is because the overall effect is often a combination of job losses in some sectors offset by gains in others.

So, which industries are most at risk? The research points to significant post-storm employment losses in the leisure and hospitality sector. This is likely due to business disruptions, temporary shifts in consumer spending priorities, and damage to tourism infrastructure. However, the impact varies depending on the specific characteristics of the storm and the region affected.

Leisure and Hospitality: The most vulnerable sector, often experiencing immediate and significant job losses.
Service-Providing Industries: Generally more sensitive to hurricane impacts than goods-producing industries.
Construction: Can see a boost in employment due to rebuilding efforts, but this often occurs later in the recovery process.
Inland Regions: Often overlooked, but can experience employment changes due to extreme rainfall and the remnants of decaying hurricanes.
Puerto Rico: Particularly vulnerable due to unique socioeconomic factors and infrastructure challenges.

Interestingly, the study also reveals a potential boost in construction employment following major storms. This is driven by the demand for rebuilding and reconstruction efforts. However, this growth typically occurs later in the recovery process, and may not fully compensate for the initial job losses in other sectors.

Predicting the Future: Building a More Resilient Workforce

This research provides valuable insights for building a more resilient workforce in the face of increasing hurricane threats. By understanding which industries and regions are most vulnerable, individuals, businesses, and policymakers can take proactive steps to prepare for future storms. This includes investing in infrastructure improvements, developing targeted job training programs, and providing financial assistance to affected workers and businesses. The study also highlights the potential for predictive modeling to anticipate employment shifts and allocate resources more effectively, ensuring a faster and more equitable recovery for all communities.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2307.13686,

Title: Characteristics And Predictive Modeling Of Short-Term Impacts Of Hurricanes On The Us Employment

Subject: econ.em physics.ao-ph

Authors: Gan Zhang, Wenjun Zhu

Published: 25-07-2023

Everything You Need To Know

What specific industries are most susceptible to job losses when hurricanes hit the United States, according to the study?

The study from the University of Illinois and Nanyang Technological University indicates that the leisure and hospitality sector is the most vulnerable to job losses following hurricanes. Service-providing industries, in general, also show greater sensitivity to these storms compared to goods-producing industries. This vulnerability is often linked to business disruptions, changes in consumer spending, and damage to tourism infrastructure. Inland regions, although often overlooked, can also experience employment changes due to extreme rainfall and the remnants of decaying hurricanes.

How does the construction industry respond to hurricane impacts, and when does this typically occur?

The research reveals that the construction industry can experience a boost in employment following major storms due to rebuilding efforts. However, this increase in employment typically occurs later in the recovery process, after the initial impacts of the hurricane. This contrasts with the immediate job losses observed in sectors like leisure and hospitality. The delayed boost in construction highlights the complex, multi-stage nature of economic recovery after a hurricane.

What is the significance of the comprehensive, open-source dataset used in the study, and how does it improve upon previous research?

The study leverages a comprehensive, open-source dataset to analyze the employment impacts of hurricanes across the United States from 1990 to 2020. Unlike previous research which often focused on specific regions or individual storms, this dataset offers unprecedented spatial and temporal detail. This allows for a more nuanced understanding of the employment dynamics, revealing trends that might have been missed in earlier studies. The breadth of the data allows the researchers to identify the different industries at risk, how various regions respond, and the potential for predictive modeling.

Besides job losses, what other factors influence employment changes in the aftermath of a hurricane, as suggested by the study?

The study emphasizes that the overall effect of a hurricane on employment is complex, often involving a combination of job losses in some sectors and gains in others. Factors influencing these changes include business disruptions, shifts in consumer spending priorities, and damage to infrastructure, particularly in sectors like leisure and hospitality. The unique socioeconomic factors and infrastructure challenges in regions like Puerto Rico also play a significant role. In addition, the study underlines that extreme rainfall and the remnants of decaying hurricanes can affect employment in inland regions.

How can the findings of this research be used to build a more resilient workforce and mitigate the economic fallout from future hurricanes?

The study's findings offer valuable insights for building a more resilient workforce by identifying the industries and regions most vulnerable to hurricane impacts. This knowledge can be used to implement proactive measures. This includes investing in infrastructure improvements, developing targeted job training programs, and providing financial assistance to affected workers and businesses. Furthermore, the research highlights the potential for predictive modeling to anticipate employment shifts and allocate resources more effectively, ensuring a faster and more equitable recovery for all communities.