About one in six unemployed workers in the United States is addicted to alcohol or drugs -- almost twice the rate for full-time workers, according to the government's National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
The survey shows that 17% of unemployed workers had a substance abuse disorder last year, whereas 9% of full-time workers did so. The numbers are self-reported, and therefore, could be even higher in reality.
Substance dependence is defined by several factors, including having withdrawals, repeatedly using a substance over the course of one month and witnessing related adverse effects at home, work or school. Addictions to alcohol, illegal drugs and misused prescription drugs are all included.
The trends for drug use have held relatively steady for a decade, even in spite of the recession. One would think that as millions of clean workers suddenly lost their jobs and joined the unemployment rolls, the rate of drug use among that group should have fallen pretty dramatically. Instead, it barely changed.
One study came to a similar conclusion about alcohol.
As people become unemployed, they're faced with competing challenges: On one hand, their income falls and they're less able to afford alcohol or drugs. But at the same time, they're faced with more idle time to fill with recreational activities.
As it turns out, the loss in income isn't enough to stop them from drowning out their sorrows with alcohol.
About 21 million American adults were dependent on alcohol or drugs in 2012, the highest number on record, according to the government's data. Half of them had full-time jobs.
Among them, alcoholism is the most common form of substance abuse.
But taking alcohol out of the mix, about 40% of people who are addicted to illicit drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroine, are holding down full-time jobs too.
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