The use of drugs in the U.S. workforce is causing plenty of woes for employers, but fighting the opioid crisis won't solve the problem by itself—the use of methamphetamines is up as well.
HRDive reports that studies are highlighting the increase in use of drugs other than opioids—meth among them. It cites a Quest Diagnostics study indicating that the use of meth among American workers has been rising since 2012, after it plateaued between 2008–2012.
In fact, since 2012, the study says, positive tests of methamphetamine rose 64 percent in the country's workforce. Even regulated jobs aren't immune, with positive meth tests rising 14 percent among federally regulated, safety-sensitive workers. And a recent drug testing report from the company also indicates that the use of both cocaine and marijuana are also up, "contributing to the highest positivity rate in 12 years."
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The opioid epidemic alone, says HRDive, "has had a staggering effect on workforce participation, particularly for men ages 25 to 54." The amount of men in the labor pool stands at 88.4 percent participation, "only slightly higher than its all-time low in 2014," it says, with opioid use having become a key factor in why "prime age" workers, primarily men, are unwilling or unable to find work, according to a Goldman Sachs economist cited by CNN.
Not only is this an issue for safety and wellness, HRDive points out, but drug abuse is also contributing to a "major talent gap," with some employers struggling to find candidates who can actually pass a drug test. A September study from Princeton University has revealed that drug misuse has driven 20 percent of men out of the workforce.
And a Hudson Institute report finds that some employers report that between 25–50 percent of qualified applicants can't pass a routine drug test. In the manufacturing industry, that's a chance employers can't afford to take when an employee's diminished capacity can be fatal.
So how are employers coping with this additional obstacle to finding suitable job candidates? Some, the report says, are turning to creative solutions to fill out their workforce. Among those strategies are finding sober candidates and training them to perform jobs with unfilled vacancies, or even hiring parolees who are required to remain drug-free as a condition of their release.
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