Ohio Jobseekers Routinely Fail Drug Tests

For many people at the moment, it's difficult to find a job. But for companies in Ohio, it seems it can sometimes be difficult to find workers. According to a recent survey, employment agencies in The Buckeye have a hard time filling vacancies due to failed drug tests—to the point where many employers issue the test before any paper work is even completed. Across a variety of industries in the state, 25.5% of employers said they had to dismiss applications due to failed drug tests. And within the manufacturing industry, that number reaches nearly half of employers—at 47.5%, according to the survey carried out by ERC for the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County. Nationwide, the US Department of Justice estimates that drug abuse costs the American economy about $193 billion a year. Many companies across the US continue to test employees and even have random screenings—an act that some argue is unconstitutional and a violation of privacy—fueling a growing drug-testing industry that has been accused of widespread corruption.