Staff Report
Jobs as temporary, part-time positions as census takers are available in Santa Barbara County as local organizers ramp up for in-person visits to households that have not yet responded to the U.S. Census. Bilingual applicants are especially encouraged to apply. For more information and to apply, visit www.2020census.gov/jobs.
Originally slated for March, these Non-Response Follow Up (NRFU) visits were postponed due to restrictions put in place because of COVID-19. The census paused hiring for temporary workers needed for in-person operations. Door-to-door visits by census takers in Santa Barbara County are expected to begin in August.
The local census office in Camarillo, closed during the lockdown, has reopened as part of a phased return-to-work plan.
“It is not too late to apply for high-paying, temporary jobs to support the Santa Barbara County 2020 Census,” said Joni Maiden, co-chair of the Santa Barbara County Census 2020 Complete Count Committee. “Our county’s self-response rate is 66.1 percent as of July 1, but our goal is to count every resident in our community. Every person left uncounted equates to a loss of $2,000 per person, per year for the next 10 years. Anyone looking to earn extra income and help their community should take the next step and apply.”
All census takers will be trained on physical distancing protocols and issued with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with local guidelines for PPE use. The pay rate is $21 per hour.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be available to work flexible hours (including days, evenings and weekends), and have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle. They must be a U.S. citizen, have a valid Social Security number, undergo fingerprinting, and pass a criminal background check and a review of criminal records.
Bilingual applicants are needed and encouraged to apply, but all those applying must be able to speak, read and write in English.
Citizens invited to reply online
For the first time ever, residents are able to reply to the census online (www.my2020census.gov), in addition to by phone and mail. Invitations to respond were first mailed nationwide in early March, and followed up with reminder postcards. Paper census forms were mailed to non-responding households in mid-April. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the deadline to respond has been extended to Oct. 31, but the public is encouraged to respond as soon as possible.
