Opioid Crisis Takes Toll on Small Businesses as Unemployment Drops

Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Reporter
|Updated:

WASHINGTON—With unemployment being at an 18-year low, small businesses are struggling to fill job openings and retain workers. Mounting opioid usage in the country is making the situation even worse, as in some areas, only 25 to 30 percent of job applicants can pass a drug test, said a small-business owner.

The U.S. job market is booming with low unemployment, strong job growth, and increasing wages. While this benefits American workers, a shortage of workers limits the ability of businesses to expand and grow.

Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Reporter
Emel Akan is a senior White House correspondent for The Epoch Times, where she covers the policies of the Trump administration. Previously, she reported on the Biden administration and the first term of President Trump. Before her journalism career, she worked in investment banking at JPMorgan. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University.
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