ELKHART — Low unemployment is ordinarily a good thing, but area manufacturers say the shrinking labor pool is filled with applicants who fail drug screenings or don’t show up for work.
And in some cases, the trend has held back the growth potential for manufacturers in the booming recreational vehicle industry — especially in Elkhart County where the unemployment rate is roughly 4 percent.
Most manufacturers require screenings because drug use while operating heavy machinery can lead to serious injury or death.
At Dicor Corp. in Elkhart, a 130-employee company that makes RV parts, about 30 to 50 percent of applicants fail off-site urine tests during any given week, according to Gregg Fore, company president.
“On a bad week, it’s more than 50 percent. Five years ago, it was between 10 and 20 percent,” Fore said, adding that Dicor spends about $500 to $750 per month on drug screenings. “When you’re in the middle of a hiring mode — and most of us are — the expense of hiring people goes up because you’re turning away so many who can’t pass a test.”
Dicor’s applicants fail screenings due to a variety of different drugs. But Fore identified marijuana as the most problematic. The legalization of pot in some states, such as Colorado, has made the drug seem more socially acceptable to some people who believe they can get away with using it.