Data drop: Employment status

This month's data drop is 66.9%.

Since the start of 2016, 66.9% of Face It TOGETHER members report maintaining a stable level of employment as either full- or part-time.

Face It TOGETHER (FIT) collects data on the status of our members' employment at intake. This information is updated as that status changes with the member. For members that reported their status, 54% indicated they were employed full-time.

Unstable employment is often an outcome of the disease of addiction. Individuals with addiction have higher rates of other chronic physical illnesses and mental health problems. Employees with addiction problems function at about two-thirds of their capability and are three times more likely to be late for work. There is also an increase in absenteeism and presenteeism. All of these factors greatly hinder a person’s ability to maintain stable employment – either at the same job or at the same level (e.g., full-time).

FIT found that in 2016, the majority (66.9%) of our members report maintaining a stable level of employment. Of those members that have maintained a certain level of employment, 78.9% continued to be employed full-time and 21.1% continued at part-time. At this time, we are unable to discern if those members have maintained employment in the exact same job; however, we will further explore this throughout the next year with enhancements to our proprietary data collection system.

We looked closer at the group of members that did not remain stable in either a full- or part-time position. In 2016, 28.7% of our members reported being unemployed. A subset (6.9%) of the members that were either unemployed or employed part-time reported a positive change in their employment status since receiving services through our peer recovery coaching. These members all reported a change from unemployed or part-time to full-time.

Another important aspect for us to consider is the impact of a person’s employment on their overall wellbeing. Is the person working in an environment that is supportive to their wellness? Is the person’s employment meeting their financial needs? Is the person satisfied with their employment? FIT will continue to work with our members and our affiliates to better understand the impact of our services on their employment and their overall wellbeing.

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