Opioid Misuse Rates Higher Among Unemployed & Full-Time Workers With Job Stress

Opioid misuse rates are higher in the United States among people who are unemployed and among those working full time who have job stress. People who are unemployed are 40% more likely to misuse opioids than people working full-time (35 to 40 hours per week). Opioid misuse rates are 35% higher among people who are employed full-time but have job stress due to a low effort-to-reward ratio.

The effort-to-reward ratio contrasts the employee's perception of the physical and mental effort needed to do a job with the employee’s perception of rewards available . . .