Hundreds of thousands of temporary workers are being hired for the 2020 census, and officials want military spouses to know about the opportunities.
The census, which has been conducted every 10 years since 1790, aims to count every person in the United States.
Applicants can apply for a variety of temporary jobs, including census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff and supervisory staff. The U.S. Census Bureau is in the process of opening 248 offices around the country. Applicants must be at least 18, have a valid Social Security number, be a U.S. citizen, have a valid email address, complete an application and answer assessment questions.
The largest number of hires will be for the census taker positions — those who go to the field and knock on doors when a household hasn’t responded by mail, phone or online.
Census Bureau officials are reaching out to those in different communities about the job opportunities, including the military community. One bureau official who is a retired Navy officer said he wants spouses and transitioning service members to know about the opportunities to serve their community while earning money.
To apply, visit https://2020census.gov/en/jobs/how-to-apply.html or call 855-JOB-2020 and select option 3 for more information.
The salaries vary depending on the job and location. For example, in San Diego County, the pay rate for a census taker will be $20.50 per hour. In Cumberland County, North Carolina, where Fort Bragg is located, census takers will make $14.50 an hour. Census takers also receive reimbursement for work-related mileage and expenses, where applicable. Visit 2020census.gov/jobs/pay-and-locations for information about specific areas.
The census was originally created to meet a constitutional requirement to apportion the seats in the House of Representatives among the states. These population counts and demographic breakdowns are also used as the basis of federal funds, grants and support to states, counties and communities — affecting roads, schools, hospitals, public works and other programs.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
