The State House News Service reports that the opioid epidemic that has ravaged communities and killed thousands has also had a “severe” impact on Massachusetts businesses, costing $2.5 billion a year in absenteeism and lost productivity, a new report has found.
The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation report said that on top of the $2.5 billion in lost productivity each year, businesses have also assumed the excess health care costs related to opioid usage — estimated to exceed $2 billion, the news service reported.
The foundation said that in an already tight labor market in the Bay State, the opioid epidemic has made it even harder to find workers to fill jobs, as businesses try to expand.
“The tens of thousands more prime age people lost to the workforce due to the opioid crisis is yet another stiff headwind businesses must overcome in order to expand and prosper,” the group wrote in its report.
MTF said it conducted its research on how the opioid crisis has affected businesses, in part, to encourage business leaders to become more involved in combating the problem, according to the State House News Service.