Attachment 4 - Advance Letter

Front

Dear [Respondent Name],

For more than 20 years, the information you have provided to the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) has helped researchers better understand the needs of your generation. Today, as we face the COVID-19 pandemic, your data and the research it supports are more crucial than ever. We understand that, like most Americans in these unprecedented times, you may be worried about your loved ones, your health and your financial security.

In difficult times, such as what our country now faces, your continued participation in the NLS is vital both for informing public policies and for understanding the important long-term effects of COVID on the nation’s general well-being.

It is for this reason that we invite you to participate in a brief online survey about how the pandemic has affected your work, school, and health. If you would like to take the survey now, you may do so at www.nlscovidsurvey.com/individualizedlink. You may also call us toll-free at XXX-XXX-XXXX or email at [email protected] if you wish set an appointment to complete the survey over the phone. The average time to take the [supplement name] is about 12 minutes. Once you’ve completed the survey, you will receive $XX in appreciation for your time. This survey doesn’t replace the usual interview that you complete every other year, but it will provide an important update about how Americans of your age are coping with the current pandemic.

As always please know that your privacy and confidentiality and security are our number one priority. We follow the federal laws that govern the confidentiality of survey respondents, as well as additional policies and procedures that ensure your answers are safeguarded. Please see the back of this letter for more information about privacy and confidentiality.

Your thoughtful answers have made the NLSY97 one of the most vital surveys in the country for understanding your generation. Thank you for your continued contribution during these extraordinary times.

Sincerely,

Keenan Dworak-Fisher, NLS Director

Bureau of Labor Statistics

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WHY IS THIS SURVEY IMPORTANT? Thanks to your help, policymakers and researchers will have a better understanding of the work experiences, family characteristics, health, financial status, and other important information about the lives of people in your generation. This is a voluntary survey, and there are no penalties for not participating or not answering all the questions. However, missing responses make it more difficult to understand the issues that concern people in your community and across the country. Your answers represent the experiences of hundreds of other people your age. We hope we can count on your participation again this time.

WHO AUTHORIZES THIS SURVEY? The survey is run by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey is authorized under Title 29, Section 2, of the United States Code. The CHRR at The Ohio State University and NORC at the University of Chicago are conducting this survey under a contract with the Department of Labor. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved this voluntary survey and has assigned 1220-0157 as the survey’s control number. This control number expires on 08/31/2022. Without OMB approval and this number, we would not be able to conduct this survey.

HOW MUCH TIME WILL THE INTERVIEW TAKE? Based on preliminary tests, we estimate that the average interview will take about 12 minutes to complete. Your interview may be somewhat shorter or longer depending on your circumstances. If you have any comments regarding this survey or recommendations for reducing its length, send them to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Longitudinal Surveys, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20212.

WHO SEES MY ANSWERS? We want to reassure you that your confidentiality is protected by law. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act, the Privacy Act, and other applicable Federal laws, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees and agents, will, to the full extent permitted by law, use the information you provide for statistical purposes only, will hold your responses in confidence, and will not disclose them in identifiable form without your informed consent. All the employees who work on the survey at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its contractors must sign a document agreeing to protect the confidentiality of your data. In fact, only a few people have access to information about your identity because they need that information to carry out their job duties.

BLS may release records to a contractor to compile non-individually identifiable data for use by the general public and federal agencies for research purposes. BLS may provide geographic information to researchers to conduct specific research projects which further the mission and functions of BLS. Such authorized researchers must sign a written agreement making them official agents of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and requiring them to protect the confidentiality of survey participants. These external researchers are never provided with the personal identities of participants.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION? To learn more about the survey, visit: www.bls.gov/nls. To search for articles, reports, and other research based on the National Longitudinal Surveys, visit: www.nlsinfo.org or www.bls.gov/nls