Contributed by Jessi Curtis
The U.S. Census Bureau is launching a national recruitment effort to hire approximately 1,000 temporary workers to help conduct the 2020 Census in Alaska.“We need people to apply now, so they can be considered for part-time census taker positions next spring,” said Timothy Olson, Census Bureau associate director for field operations. “Recent high school graduates, veterans, retirees, military spouses, seasonal workers and applicants who are bilingual are highly encouraged to apply. It’s important we hire people that have ties to the communities in Alaska in order to have a complete and accurate count.”
Census takers will be hired to work in their communities and go door-to-door to collect responses from those who do not respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. In certain remote areas like parts of Alaska, census takers are the only way people can respond to the 2020 Census.
These positions in Alaska pay $28.00–$31.00 per hour, and offer flexible hours, paid training and weekly paychecks.
The selection process for census taker positions begins in December 2020 and will continue through April 2020. Actual enumeration of non-responding households throughout the nation begins in May through early July. Check out 2020census.gov/jobs to apply.
“AARP knows that historically 50% of census takers are over the age of 50 and many are retirees,” said Dana Marie Kennedy, state director, AARP Arizona. “These folks tend to be reliable, dependable and they know their communities best. They bring with them years of experience and get the job done.”
The 2020 Census officially starts counting people in January 2020 in Toksook Bay, Alaska. Most households in the nation will receive invitations in the mail to respond (online, by phone or by mail) in March 2020. The Census Bureau will begin advertising nationwide in January 2020 to increase awareness about the importance and benefits of participating in the 2020 Census.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census of the population be conducted once every 10 years. Census data are used to determine congressional representation in the states and how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed to states and local communities every year for critical public services and infrastructure, including health clinics, schools, roads and emergency services.
For more information on the 2020 Census, visit 2020census.gov.
