HRDC - Evaluation of The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS)

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Appendix 2

Description of the Cluster
Analysis Methods Used

Cluster analysis attempts to group together data points (in this case individuals), by the characteristics that they have in common. In the case of two variables, this is akin to drawing circles around clusters of data points on a graph. The first step in the procedure is to re-scale all of the variables on a 0 to 1 scale. This means that all of the variables are weighted equally. Without this, a ten dollar difference in TAGS rate, for example, would be considered a larger difference than a five year age difference.

The variables that were used in the clustering process were:

Perceived Barriers:	Child Care
	Elder Care
	Family responsibilities
	Lack of formal education
	Health
	Moving away from the local area
	No jobs on the local area
	Not knowing if the plant was closing
	Stress
	Obtaining training
Empbon	Received TAGS employment bonus funding
EmpPrg	Participated in a TAGS employment program
Fish	Qualified for TAGS as a fisher
FW95	Number of fishing weeks in 1995
FSHPAY	Earnings from the fishery in 1995
Gender
IncPren	Pre-TAGS taxable income
Moved	The participant has moved since starting to receive TAGS benefits
Plant	Qualified for TAGS as a plant worker
Retired	Exited from TAGS under a retirement option
Age
Education	Formal education level
Rate	TAGS rate
TrnCATS	CATS system records client as have taken training
X2kfish	Participant expects to be fishing in the year 2000
X2kout	Participant expects to be working outside the fishery in the year 2000
X2kplant	Participant expects to be working in a plant in the year 2000
X2kret	Participant expects to be retired in the year 2000

Where multiple sources for particular information existed (for example on the expectations variables), the most recent answer to the question was used in the analysis.

Last Modified: 1998-11-25	Important Notices

Description of the Cluster Analysis Methods Used

Description of the Cluster
Analysis Methods Used