Manufacturing losses have fueled opioid addiction: Study

Job losses in the manufacturing industry have not only crushed overall employment levels, but have also boosted opioid use, according to a new study published Monday.

University of Chicago social scientists found that the decline of jobs in the sector during the 2000s could explain up to one-third of the decline in employment for working-age people since 2000. They also found that manufacturing job losses were associated with higher opioid overdose deaths.