2023 Business Response Survey Questionnaire

5/22/2023

Business Response Survey on Layoffs and State Workforce Programs

Employers have experienced unprecedented disruptions in their operations since the COVID-19 pandemic began over three years ago. These disruptions have resulted in layoffs and other business contractions, which have led to difficulties in hiring and training new employees. To better understand the impact of these difficulties, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in collaboration with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is seeking information from businesses like yours on their experiences. This information will aid policy makers in evaluating, improving, and expanding state workforce programs to support employers and employees.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees, agents, and partner statistical agencies, will use the information you provide for statistical purposes only and will hold the information in confidence to the full extent permitted by law. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (44 USC 3572) and other applicable Federal laws, your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent. Per the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, Federal information systems are protected from malicious activities through cybersecurity screening of transmitted data.

Public reporting burden for this voluntary survey is estimated to average 6 minutes per response. This includes time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and submitting this survey. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this survey, send them to [email protected]. The OMB Control No. for this survey is 1220-0198 and expires on July 31, 2024. Without a valid OMB number, BLS could not conduct this survey.

Please continue to this short survey about layoffs and state workforce programs at this business location.

Please answer the questions for this business location only.

Layoffs at this business location

1. Has this business location laid off any employees (i.e., “downsized”) since January 2020? Include all layoff events, even those affecting a small number of employees, layoffs where staff were rehired, and temporary layoffs of short duration.

• Yes

• Noà Skip to Q11

• Don’t knowà Skip to Q11

2. In what year did the most recent layoff event begin at this location?

• 2020

• 2021

• 2022

• 2023

3. How many employees were laid off in the most recent layoff event at this location? ___

4. How many employees from the most recent layoff event at this location were rehired? If no employees were rehired, please enter zero. ___

5. What was the primary reason for the most recent layoff event at this location?

• Reduced demand for products or services (Nonseasonal slowdown, etc.)

• Disaster/safety (Natural disaster, work hazards, COVID-19, etc.)

• Financial (Bankruptcy, cost cutting, restructuring, etc.)

• Organizational (Ownership change, business merger or buyout, relocation, etc.)

• Production (Supply chain disruption, etc.)

• Technological (Automation, etc.)

• Seasonal (Expected temporary decrease)

• Other

6. When the most recent layoff event occurred at this location, it was EXPECTED to be…

• permanent, or

• temporary?

7. What was the primary role or function for most of the employees who were laid off at this location?

• Management, business, science, and art occupations

• Service occupations

• Sales and office occupations

• Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations

• Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

• Some other occupations

• Don’t know

8. During the most recent layoff event, was this business location…

• Open with reduced staff (operating hours unchanged)

• Partially closed (reduced shifts or reduced operating hours)

• Closed

• Don’t know

9. Did this business location CONSIDER reductions in hours instead of reductions in staff?

• Yes

• No

10. Did this business location provide any of the following resources to employees who were laid off?

Select all that apply.

• Notified laid off workers about their potential eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits

• Provided written materials to laid off workers describing the unemployment insurance application process

• Filed unemployment insurance benefit applications on behalf of laid off workers

• Contacted the state workforce system for reemployment services

• Referred or contracted with external job placement services

• None of the above

• Don’t know

• Other resources related to unemployment insurance [please specify in text box]

11. Does this business location typically contract with an unemployment insurance (UI) claims management firm or payroll firm to help manage UI claims applications?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know

12. Are any employees at this location covered by a collective bargaining agreement?

• Yes – All employees

• Yes – Some employees

• No

• Don’t know

Familiarity with State Workforce Programs

Layoff aversion programs apply strategies and activities intended to prevent or minimize the duration of unemployment resulting from layoffs. The Short Time Compensation (STC) program, also known as work sharing or shared-work, is an example of a layoff aversion program and provides an alternative to layoffs for employers experiencing a reduction in available work. This layoff aversion program allows employers with at least two employees to reduce the hours of work for employees, rather than laying off employees, and employees experiencing a reduction in hours are allowed to collect a percentage of their unemployment insurance benefits to make up for lost wages.

13. Before this survey, had you heard of the Short Time Compensation (STC) program (also known as work sharing or shared-work)?

• Yes

• No

14. Has this business location participated in any layoff aversion program such as Short Time Compensation (STC)?

• Yes, STC

• Yes, other layoff aversion program

• No

• Don’t know

15. If there was a need, how likely is this business location to use a layoff aversion program like Short Time Compensation that would reduce employee hours instead of staffing layoffs?

• Very likely à Skip to Q17

• Somewhat likely à Skip to Q17

• Neither à Skip to Q17

• Somewhat unlikely

• Very unlikely

16. What are the reasons this business location is not likely to use a layoff aversion program?

Select all that apply.

• Need more information to decide

• Not cost effective

• Not enough employees

• Labor unions are not interested

• Potentially too administratively burdensome

• No clear benefit from participating

• Previous experience did not meet needs

• Other [please explain in text box]

17. Has this business location collaborated in the past with a local American Job Center or state workforce system for employee recruitment, layoff aversion, or other business services?

• Yes

• No

18. In what ways, or for what reasons has this business location collaborated in the past with a local American Job Center or state workforce system?

Select all that apply.

• Posted job opportunities

• Attended or hosted a recruitment event or job fair

• Rapid Response Services (Career counselling, interview skills and resume preparation workshops, etc.)

• Worker training such as incumbent worker training, on-the-job training (OJT), or apprenticeship programs

• To avoid laying off employees

• Other

19. Would you like to provide any additional information not covered in the survey?

[Open text box.]