2.2 Establishment Size¹

Figure 2.2 Distribution of the Full-Time Workforce, Age 18-49, by Establishment Size, 1994 (Estimated Number = 77,842,000), 1997 (Estimated Number = 81,282,000)

About 39.2 percent of full-time workers age 18-49 reported working for establishments with fewer than 24 employees (small); 43.4 percent reported working for establishments with 25-499 employees (medium); and 17.4 percent reported working for establishments with 500+ employees (large). The estimated number for each category is 32 million, 35 million, and 14 million, respectively.

Figure 2.3 Percentage and Estimated Number of Current Illicit Drug Use Among Full-Time Workers, Age 18-49, by Establishment Size, 1994 and1997

Figure 2.4 Percentage and Estimated Number of Current Heavy Alcohol Use Among Full-Time Workers, Age 18-49, by Establishment Size, 1994 and 1997

Figure 2.3 presents the distribution of current illicit drug users by establishment size. Overall, 7.7 percent of full-time workers reported current illicit drug use in 1997. About 8.6 percent of workers at small establishments reported current illicit drug use, which was statistically significantly lower than the 11 percent reported in 1994. About 7.6 percent of workers in the medium-size category reported current illicit drug use, which was statistically significantly higher than the 5.4 percent reported in 1994. Workers who reported working for large-size establishments reported the lowest rate of current illicit drug use (5.8%).

The estimated number of workers reporting current illicit drug use for the three establishment categories was 2.8 million (small), 2.7 million (medium), and 0.8 million (large) (44%, 43%, and 13%, respectively). In 1994, the estimated number of workers was 3.3 million (small), 1.8 million (medium), and 0.8 million (large) (57%, 30%, and 13%, respectively). In comparing the 1994 and 1997 distribution of the estimated number of workers reporting current illicit drug use, there seemed to be a shift from the small establishments to the medium-size establishments between 1994 and 1997.

Figure 2.4 presents the distribution of current heavy alcohol users by establishment size. Among the 81 million full-time workers, 7.6 percent reported heavy alcohol use in 1997. Unlike 1994 when the reported rate of current heavy alcohol use was the highest in the small establishments [9.6% (small), 7.9% (medium), and 7.3% (large)], in 1997 the rate of current heavy alcohol use was highest in the establishments with 25-499 employees (7.0% (small), 8.3% (medium), and 7.4% (large)]. The rate of reported current heavy alcohol use for workers in small establishments was statistically significantly lower in 1997 than in 1994.

The estimated number of workers reporting heavy alcohol use in 1997 was largest for medium-size establishments: 2.9 million (medium) versus 2.2 million (small) and 1.0 million (large) (36%, 47%, and 17%, respectively). In contrast, the estimated numbers of workers reporting heavy alcohol use in 1994 was 2.9 million (small), 2.6 million (medium), and 1.0 million (large) (44%, 40%, and 16%, respectively). Again, the number of workers reporting heavy alcohol use shows a shift from small to medium- sized establishments between 1994 and 1997.