The U.S. Census Bureau needs to hire about 500,000 census takers across the country in 2020. 

“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.”

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. 

These positions offer competitive pay, flexible hours, paid training and weekly paychecks. Pay rates vary from $13.50 to $30 per hour, depending on where the job is located. The selection process for census taker positions begins in January .

The Liberty County Complete Count Committee is joining efforts to spread the word about working for the Census. 

“The Census Bureau is working hard to recruit and hire local census takers from the communities in which they live and will be counting residents,” says Krystal Hart, 2020 census outreach coordinator for Liberty County. “Working for the 2020 Census is the perfect opportunity for holiday seasonal workers, students, retirees and other freelance workers. While we do not control hiring on the local level, we want to make sure our residents have a chance to gain income and help shape our community’s future by working for the Census Bureau during the 2020 count.”

The first step is to complete the online job application at https://2020census.gov/. 

The application will include some assessment questions about your education, work and other experience. 

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 census.libertycountyga.gov.