The U.S. Census Bureau is hiring thousands of people in San Diego to join its 2020 Census team. This is part of a nationwide recruitment effort for temporary employees. San Diego census office manager, Jeff Aarnio, said “We are in a massive mobilization of literally hiring thousands of people.”
The open positions include door-to-door counters, field staff, support clerks and some managers. The pay ranges from $19 for a field clerk to $37 for an office manager position.
Both San Diego and Imperial Counties have been ranked hard to count. This is based on 2010 response rates. If 73% or fewer people returned mail-in census forms, then that puts a particular area in the bottom 20% of return rates across the country.
There’s also added efforts needed in areas such as City Heights, where dozens of languages are spoken and there’s a transient population.
The local Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), and about 15 other organizations that work with the area’s immigrant and refugee populations have been tapped to help. PANA leaders say the coalition will open a call center to answer questions and to educate people about the census. There are also plans for workshops, and to canvass the community to teach people about the process, as well as to assist people with filling out the form.
While the Census is new to some immigrants in the community, Beryl Forman with The Blvd. Business Improvement Association (BID) thinks many people will take part. “While there is some barriers, and people being resistant, there’s a balance to that. There’s, strong community in the way that they want to be recognized, and they want their voice to be heard,” Forman said .
The Census Bureau notes that getting everybody counted is important because the numbers determine reapportioning congressional seats, redistricting, and distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to support states, counties and communities’ programs — impacting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care and public policy.
To work for the U.S. Census, you must be 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. There are exceptions — some non-U.S. citizen translators. “We recruit from every community — local, state, tribal reservations — to make sure we have people from those communities to help count people in those communities,” Aarnio said.
To apply for a census job, click here.
