Quest Diagnostics’ annual Drug Testing Index shows the percentage of U.S. workers who tested positive for the synthetic opioid fentanyl decreased from 0.55% in 2024 to 0.28% in 2025—a decline of 49.1%, according to Safety+Health magazine.
Researchers from the Quest Diagnostics analyzed results of random, on-the-job drug tests from the general workforce and employees in safety-sensitive jobs who undergo federally mandated drug testing.
Quest Diagnostics also shared the following findings.
- Drug positivity rates for the federally mandated safety-sensitive workforce (2.2%), general workforce (5.5%) and combined workforce (4.3%) each dropped by a 0.1 percentage point from 2024 to 2025.
- Amphetamines (0.89%) and marijuana (0.81%) had the highest drug positivity rates among federally mandated safety-sensitive workers.
- For the general workforce, the industries with the highest overall positivity rates were health care and social assistance (5.8%), other services (except public administration) (5.7%) and retail trade (5.4%)
“These findings demonstrate the importance of a comprehensive approach to impairment mitigation in the workplace,” said Claire Bryant, a senior program manager for Workplace Safety Programs at the National Safety Council, in a press release. “Employers play a critical role in addressing the root causes of substance misuse through supportive policies, benefits and recovery.”
According to CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training, construction workers overall account for about 17% of overdose deaths among the working population even though they only make up about 8% of the U.S. workforce. Learn about how your company can be prepared to respond to an opioid overdose emergency.
