The rate of positive drug test results among America’s workforce reached its highest rate last year since 2001 and was up more than 30 percent from an all-time low in 2010-2012, according to a new analysis released today by Quest Diagnostics.
The rate among construction industry workers grew 12.2 percent in 2021 to 4.6 percent, up from 4.1 percent in 2020. Positivity rates for marijuana grew 16 percent, from 2.5 percent in 2020 to 2.9 percent last year.
The workforce study is based on more than 11 million deidentified urine, hair, and oral fluid drug test results collected between January and December 2021
The overall positivity rate in the combined U.S. workforce, based on nearly 9 million urine drug tests collected between January and December 2021, was up in 2021 to 4.6 percent, up 31.4 percent from the all-time low of 3.5 percent in 2010-12.
The combined U.S. workforce includes the general U.S. workforce of mostly company-policy testing by private employers as well as the federally mandated, safety-sensitive workforce, which includes federal employees and the transportation and nuclear power industries.
Overall positivity in the federally mandated, safety-sensitive workforce based on nearly 2.7 million urine drug tests stayed even year over year (2.2 percent in 2020 and 2021). In the general U.S. workforce, positivity increased to 5.6 percent, compared to 5.5 percent in 2020. It has steadily grown since 2017, when positivity was 5.0 percent.
“Our Drug Testing Index reveals several notable trends, such as increased drug positivity rates in the safety-sensitive workforce, including those performing public safety and national security jobs, as well as higher rates of positivity in individuals tested after on-the-job accidents,” said Barry Sample, PhD, senior science consultant, in a prepared statement.
“Employers are wrestling with significant recruitment and retention challenges as well as with maintaining safe and engaging work environments that foster positive mental and physical wellbeing,” said Keith Ward, general manager and VP, employer solutions in a statement. “Our Drug Testing Index data raises important questions about what it means to be an employer committed to employee health and safety. Eager to attract talent, employers may be tempted to lower their standards. In the process, they raise the specter of more drug-related impairment and worksite accidents that put other employees and the general public in harms way.”
“It is important for workers to know that certain employers are required to test for marijuana under federal law and if they use marijuana, they can still lose their jobs,” said Sample. “People who use drugs during working hours or before work can still be impaired and dangerous to co-workers, the general public and themselves.”
More positive tests for marijuana use
Positivity rates for marijuana in the general U.S. workforce, based on more than 6 million urine tests, continued an upward climb, increasing to 3.9 percent last year, 3.6 percent in 2020. This is the highest positivity rate ever reported in the DTI, according to Quest. Over five years, positivity for marijuana in the general U.S. workforce has increased 50 percent, from 2.6 percent in 2017 to 3.9 percent in 2021.
In 2021, urine post-accident testing in the U.S. general workforce for marijuana was 63.4 percent higher as compared to pre-employment tests. For federally mandated, safety-sensitive workforce urine drug testing in 2021, post-accident positivity for marijuana was 63.6 percent higher as compared to pre-employment tests.
Pre-employment drug tests are meant to be a deterrent in hiring workers whose drug-use behavior may cause unsafe work conditions or poor work performance. Post-accident testing is conducted to evaluate whether drug use may have played a role in the workplace incident prompting the drug test, according to Quest
“The increase in post-accident positivity is alarming and suggests more drug-associated accidents may be occurring even with employers with pre-employment drug testing in place,” Dr. Sample said. “The high cost of work accidents cannot be understated. While employers often think of accidents in terms of wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, and administrative expenses, accidents also impact morale, competitiveness and recruiting. Given that employers are in a war for talent, creating a safe, healthful work environment is critical for attracting and retaining people.”
Source: Quest Diagnostics
