About the Study

In 2020, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) funded contractors Mathematica and the University of Connecticut Health Center to conduct a study of factors associated with opioid use among U.S. workers.

The first report from this study, Factors Contributing to Variation in Nonmedical Use of Prescription Pain Relievers Among U.S. Workers: 2004-2014, analyzed secondary data to understand how nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers varied across states, industries and occupations, and other worker characteristics.

The second report from this study, The Impact of Local Labor Market Conditions on Opioid Transactions: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic, implemented a quasi-experimental design to understand how changing labor market conditions associated with the pandemic affected opioid use.

This Department of Labor-funded study contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform substance use disorder and work programs and policies and addresses Departmental strategic goals and priorities.

This study is associated with Workers’ Compensation and the Opioid Epidemic: Analysis and Research Design Options.

Project Duration: 29 months

Contract End Date: March 2021

Contractor: Mathematica Policy Research

For More Information: ChiefEvaluationOffice@dol.gov

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.