The City of Grand Rapids is encouraging residents to consider job opportunities for the 2020 Census.
Applications are now being accepted.
“The census, is a once every ten year effort. We only have this one chance to get it right for the next ten years.”
Lou Canfield is the City Of Grand Rapids Development Center Manager and complete count city liason as it relates to the Census. He says the City of Grand Rapids is working in partnership with community organizations and the Census Bureau to get workers for the 2020 Census. He says it’s important to make sure all communities are properly represented in the Census.
“The Census has a significant impact on funding for a variety of government services, like local services such as education, transit, certain healthcare programs and for every under count of a person, there’s estimated roughly an 18-hundred dollar negative impact on our community in terms of dollars that can be used for those services.”
Canfield says the Census also impacts political representation as well. All of those factors he says make it critical to ensure historically hard to reach residents are included in the Census. This in turn increases the need to make sure those who work for the Census are part of all communities.
“We think there’s a lot of power in local engagement and local residents working with their neighbors to complete this Census effort.”
Applications are now being accepted. Canfield says job opportunities include address canvassers, Census takers and recruiting assistants. He says the jobs last several weeks and have competitive wages. You can find out more and apply online at 2020censu.gov/jobs or they can call, 1-855-job-2020.
