Drug Testing Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Fort Lauderdale is famous for its beaches, arts, culture, and events. With a historic riverfront, gondola rides on the canals, and shopping along Las Olas Boulevard, this is the “Venice of America.” Located on the coast of northeast Florida, Fort Lauderdale is the cheapest place to live in Florida. The city has direct access to Interstate 95 and is only about 30 minutes from Miami.
These attractions and relatively affordable living costs have made Fort Lauderdale particularly popular among job seekers from across the country.
Florida’s Booming Job Market
The job market in Florida has seen steady employment growth, with an influx of over 457,400 jobs since October 2021.1 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Florida is 2.7%, well below the national rate of 5.8%.2
Due to Florida’s plentiful employment prospects, companies are experiencing a flood of candidates looking for jobs. To deal with this influx, companies need to streamline their employment onboarding processes to prevent backlogs and understaffing.
Fort Lauderdale Employment Statistics
Fort Lauderdale boasts large, established hospitality, retail, tech, education, and healthcare industries. Among the other industries that attract job seekers are marine, financial services, and logistics, which have been actively developed over the years.
This has seen an increase in job opportunities in the area. The unemployment rate in Fort Lauderdale is 2.6%, which is below both the U.S. national rate of 5.8% and the Florida rate of 2.7%.3
The major industries in Florida have seen positive year-on-year growth. Some of the major industry job growth include:4
| Leisure and hospitality | +96,200 jobs | +8.1% |
| Trade, transportation, and utilities | +92,000 jobs | +4.9% |
| Education and health services | +76,800 jobs | +5.7% |
| Professional and business services | +57,200 jobs | +3.8% |
| Financial activities | +38,700 jobs | +6.1% |
| Other services | +28,000 jobs | +8.5% |
| Manufacturing | +28,600 jobs | +7.3 % |
| Construction | +21,000 jobs | +3.7% |
| Government | +9,600 jobs | +0.9% |
| Information | +8,100 jobs | +5.7% |
Additionally, the unemployment statistics for Fort Lauderdale from October 2021 to October 2022 are outlined below:
| October 2021 | October 2022 | ||||||
| Labor Force | Employment | Unemployment | Rate | Labor Force | Employment | Unemployment | Rate |
| 1,047,793 | 1,007,322 | 40,471 | 3.9% | 1,085,572 | 1,057,182 | 28,390 | 2.6% |
The Onboarding Dilemma
With the rise in employment opportunities in the different sectors and industries present in Fort Lauderdale, onboarding thousands of new employees can become a significant challenge for companies unprepared to deal with the paperwork and screening it requires.
The biggest challenge companies face when onboarding a large number of new employees is backlogging. Whether it’s background checks, reference checks, or pre-employment drug testing, the sheer volume of new employees to onboard can quickly lead to frustrating delays in all of these processes.
Although there’s little room for improvement when it comes to reference and background checks run through the proper authorities, most pre-employment drug tests have long followed outdated protocols that simply add to delays associated with higher testing volumes.
Most employers in Florida require prospective and current employees to undergo drug testing before signing a contract. Florida has a drug-free workplace program that provides employers with discounts on workers’ compensation insurance. However, to qualify for these insurance discounts, employers must follow certain rules and regulations within this program, many pertaining to pre-employment and routine employee drug testing.
Current delays in traditional drug testing programs stretch on for days or even weeks. In many cases, companies eventually receive the results of these drug tests only to discover their candidates have moved on and found employment elsewhere.
To mitigate the delays associated with pre-employment drug testing and the overall employee onboarding process, working with a reputable, responsive, and efficient drug testing lab and at-home test provider is crucial.
The Importance of Pre-Employment Drug Testing
By eliminating possible drug and alcohol abuse by your employees, you safeguard your workers from unnecessary injury while maintaining their productivity.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): 2
- Drug use may account for as much as a fivefold increase in workplace injury claims.
- Workplace substance abuse accounts for up to 50% of all workers’ compensation claims.
- Productivity could be lowered by 33% due to substance abuse.
Ensuring a drug-free workplace is, understandably, crucial to providing a safe working environment while maintaining your bottom line.
Unfortunately, not all at-home or onsite drug tests are created equal. With so many companies requesting drug testing for new employees, few labs still offer results within the typical 24- to 48-hour window.
The most prominent reasons for this include:
- The lab has a backlog due to a high volume of tests received.
- The specimen was collected after hours and couldn’t be submitted in time.
- There were errors in the collection process.
How AMH Nationwide Can Help Keep Your Workplace Drug-Free
AMH understands the importance of offering convenient, timely, and effective drug testing.
Whether you need access to hassle-free employee drug testing or an informed, unbiased party to determine your random or scheduled drug tests, AMH Nationwide has the solution to all your drug testing needs.
AMH Nationwide is a national testing lab agency with over 30 years of experience that provides reliable, affordable drug testing for individuals and employers. We make your job easy by taking care of everything for you at an affordable price range.
Most importantly, our results are delivered faster than any other alternative, including doctors’ offices and clinics.
At AMH, we offer various types of pre-employment drug tests, including urine drug screening and hair follicle drug testing. Each of our labs has a long list of local, state, and federal certifications, and they use only the most up-to-date equipment and technology to screen and confirm your lab results.
If you’re interested and need more information regarding job candidate drug testing, call AMH Nationwide today or visit our website to learn more about the various drug tests and testing-related services we offer.
Sources:
- www.floridajobs.org/workforce-statistics/workforce-statistics-data-releases/latest-statistics
- https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.fl_jacksonville_msa.htm
- https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.fl_fortlauderdale_md.htm
- https://lmsresources.labormarketinfo.com/library/press/release.pdf