New research suggests that the dramatic decline in labor force participation of American men between the ages of 25 and 54 could have a considerable correlation with skyrocketing levels of opioid abuse in this demographic over the past 20 years. The U.S. currently has the second-lowest rate in labor force participation by prime-age men within OECD countries and an overall labor-force participation rate of 62.9 percent, significantly lower than the same rate in the mid to late 90s. Princeton economist Alan Krueger’s work shows that U.S. counties’ data on opioid-prescription rates and labor-force participation rates have a substantial inverse relationship, which could have concerning implications for employers as a vital pool of labor is declining as well as the obvious health concerns arising as the opioid crisis continues to worsen.
See "The Opioid Crisis Is Taking a Toll on the American Labor Force", Eric Levitz, New York Magazine, September 8, 2017