Good pay and flexible hours, at least that's what the U.S. Census Bureau is boasting as it looks to hire 500,000 census workers nationwide ahead of the 2020 Census.
In Minnesotoa, 7,500 workers are needed to fill census jobs even as the census moves to mostly an online survey for the first in its history. However, filling those jobs won't be an easy task with Minnesota's unemployment rate sitting at 3.2 percent.
"It takes about five applicants to fill one position," said Andrew Virden, the Director of Census Operations and Engagement in Minnesota. "It'll take approximately 40,000 applications to fill the 7,500 available census jobs in Minnesota."
Although the number of those jobs that are actually filled ahead of April 1, 2020 is low, Virden says there's a lot of upside to taking a job with the Census Bureau.
"These are meant to be part-time positions, but people could do them 40 hours a week," he said. "More than likely the people taking these positions already have an obligation somewhere else such as another job, volunteering, or taking care of a family member. It's really an ideal position for anyone."
Related: Supreme Court rules on gerrymandering
Qualifications are what you might expect: Be at least 18 years old, have an English proficiency, and pass a lengthy background check.
Applicants do not need to be a U.S. citizen.
"That requirement was removed earlier in October," Virden said. "If someone is bilingual and as long as they're in the United States in an authorized status they can still apply for these positions."
Field work won't start until spring 2020 and training for the door knocking jobs won't start until March or April. The actual work will take place throughout the summer months and could last into early August.
Virden says he's familiar with the work after working as a Field Operations Supervisor in 2010.
"The feedback was overwhelmingly positive," he said. "The census works well when people from the neighborhood speak with other people from the neighborhood about addressing concerns through the census."
Most of the work is done within the worker's own neighborhood. More rural parts of the state may require workers to use a car, but travel requirements remain relatively low.
"These are well paying part-time jobs," Virden said. "Anywhere from $14 to $20 an hour in Minnesota, which makes it a great option for anyone looking for some extra income."
More about 2020 Census jobs can be found here.
Related
