Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Contractor will work closely with DEW staff and Task Force members as appropriate to develop and design a survey instrument to elicit information from individuals who are potentially unemployed, underemployed, or out of the labor force. The information of interest includes geography, demographic characteristics, work history, education and training background, and barriers to employment. The Contractor will develop a plan for survey design, implementation, data collection, and response rate monitoring. A detailed document will be produced for review by DEW that outlines the methodology to be implemented, including survey mode and peer-reviewed techniques for achieving a representative sample of the population and optimizing response rates. The final report should include comparison of respondents and non-respondents on key variables, recommend subset analyses, and recommend format for presentation of results The Contractor will ensure that appropriate weights are used to account for differences in response rates among various demographic and geographic groups. The Contractor will also enter into the appropriate data sharing agreements with the agency to ensure confidentiality of unemployment compensation (UC) data and prevent re-disclosure of the data for any purpose beyond this project. The key objectives of the survey include: Documenting respondent’s … Demographic characteristics (e.g., age, race and ethnicity, sex, veteran status, educational attainment, South Carolina nativity, etc.) Geography (e.g., county, ZIP code, etc.) Labor force status (i.e., employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force, as well as other questions that can further clarify interest in work, as in the Current Population Survey) Barriers to work, including but not limited to: o Broadband and transportation access o Caregiving requirements o Disability and health status o Discouragement over job prospects o Enrollment in postsecondary education o Previous incarceration Understanding the respondent’s … Reservation wages, wage expectations, and labor market expectations Time use if not in the labor force Means of financial support if not in the labor force Policy or environmental changes that could influence labor force participation
