The opioid epidemic is having a negative impact on the U.S. workforce, especially for males, according to new research from well-known Princeton University economist Alan Krueger. In fact, the report, “Where Have All the Workers Gone? An Inquiry into the Decline of the U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate,” attributes 20 percent of the drop in men’s labor force participation to the drugs.
Krueger examined county opioid prescription rates against labor force data, concluding that “the increase in opioid prescriptions [over the past 15 years] could account for perhaps a 0.6 percentage point decline in male labor force participation, which is 20 percent of the observed decline in this period,” reports Fortune.com.
In other words, opioid addiction was found to be one of the major reasons why men, ages 25 to 54, dropped out of the workforce or were unable to work or find work. And employers were found to be grappling with the effects, too, having a hard time recruiting and hiring enough workers. This was especially true in the areas where opioids were most often prescribed, Kreuger told Fortune.com. And prescriptions varied not because of differences in health but rather due to differences in medical practices.
More About Opioids and Addiction
Medications that are legally prescribed by a doctor for a legitimate medical condition can be the starting point for a person’s addiction or the relapse trigger for someone in recovery. Some of the more commonly abused prescription drugs include:
- Valium
- Ativan
- Vicodin
- OxyContin
- Adderall
- Percocet
- Xanax
- Fentanyl
Getting Help for Opioid Addiction
At 10 Acre Ranch, we have worked with patients who were addicted to many types of prescription medications as well as non-prescription street drugs and alcohol. We have over two decades of experience helping men who are struggling with the disease of addiction. To learn more about our drug addiction treatment, call today: 877-228-4679.
