How does the climate influence labor productivity?

Various investigations have revealed the impact that changes in temperature have on people's performance in the workplace or school. A study conducted in 2019 by scientists from the University of Southern California showed the ideal temperatures in which both men and women achieve optimal results.

The work measured performance in verbal, written and mathematical tests, and was carried out separately by gender. Subsequently, the researchers added different temperatures, which led to a correlation between temperature, gender, and productivity.

The results showed that women performed better when the temperature was between the 21 and 26.6 degrees. Meanwhile, men performed better when temperatures were below 21 degrees. As the temperature increased, the researchers noted, the women had a better performance on verbal and mathematical tests, while men had worse results and vice versa.

Other studies have shown the relationship between low temperatures and performance, which occurs frequently in cold climates. These works explain that the arrival of autumn and winter increases depression among people. However, in others they manifest

anxiety symptoms, which leads to a change in attitude towards their daily activities.

Lack of light and low temperatures increase people's feelings of danger and anxiety levels. Not being able to perform some activities due to bad weather influences the appearance of discomfort.

It is important to control the temperature of the work environment in order to maintain a sufficiently stable level of productivity. There are different electronic devices that fulfill this task, from smart thermometers or weather stations to measure temperature to more specific gadgets such as hygrometers capable of measuring the level of humidity in the environment.

Likewise, there are apps capable of helping in temperature control, as well as measure fluctuations. Meanwhile, it is necessary to follow the indications of specialized institutions on the subject, which agree that the ideal temperature in the office is between 20 and 24 degrees. Likewise, a humidity level between 20% and 60% is recommended.

On the other hand, it is important to pay attention to changes in the moods of people, who often experience the well-known Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which includes the presence of certain characteristic symptoms of depression. They usually appear in autumn, so this pathology is known under the name of

seasonal depression, winter depression, or even winter blues.