As smoke from Canadian wildfires continued blanketing the Northeast on Thursday, many outdoor workers in New York and New Jersey said they had no choice but to continue working and breathing in the polluted air to get paid.

Delivery workers, construction crews, street vendors and gas station employees said they felt scratchy throats and itchy eyes after spending Wednesday and Thursday working in air quality conditions ranked among the worst in the nation. The smoke prompted some school closures and event cancellations, grounded or delayed flights, and caused a spike in asthma-related emergency room visits.

WNYC's Karen Yi and David Brand spoke with Morning Edition host Michael Hill about what the last few days have been like for essential workers.