Employment Opportunities are Still Available for the 2020 U.S. Census

Jim Murray | Business, Science and Technology Department, Central Library

Although the coronavirus has definitely created a setback, it has in no way put a halt to the 2020 U.S. Census. The U.S. Census Bureau is forging ahead, albeit on an altered timeline, to get a complete and accurate count of the population. In order to accomplish this task, the bureau needs to hire hundreds of thousands of temporary employees to support operations related to gathering, analyzing, and disseminating demographic data. This hiring process has been ongoing for months, but opportunities are definitely still available. To learn more details about employment opportunities available for the 2020 Census, and to apply for jobs, check out the Census Bureau website.

Census employees play a critical role in helping to insure a maximum response in their communities to the Census questionnaire. The need for a maximum response from the public to the 2020 Census questionnaire is great because our collective civic, political, and economic health depends on it. For example, each state’s representation in the U.S. House of Representatives is determined by population figures derived from the Census, and Alabama is in danger of losing a congressional seat due to slowed growth. U.S. government funding for important programs and services in Alabama, and Birmingham, is also at stake. A research study reveals that our state receives over $13 billion in federal dollars based on demographic data derived from the Census. A less than maximum response to the Census questionnaire would have a negative impact on this vital funding.

If you have a desire to supplement your income in these uncertain times, consider working for the 2020 Census. Furthermore, if you have a desire to help your community, your city, and your state acquire the resources needed to prosper through these uncertain times, complete the 2020 Census questionnaire by going to the Birmingham Counts! web page on the Birmingham Public Library’s website and clicking on the box at the top.