2020 Census Brings Job Opportunities for Older Texans

The 2020 Census count is fast approaching and its bringing opportunities for Texans looking for short-term work.

"The Census is a great opportunity for persons, particularly older workers, in search of flexible hours and temporary work," says AARP Texas Director Tina Tran. “Besides, these Census jobs only come along once in a decade.”

The U.S. Census Bureau is seeking out responsible, dependable problem-solvers to take on a variety of tasks like canvassing neighborhoods as it recruits to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country. Jobs for the 2020 Census offer competitive wages that are paid weekly. Authorized expenses, such as mileage, are reimbursed for employees doing field work.

Apply for a Census job here. And if you need more information about the Census, visit www.aarp.org/census.

The 2020 Census is crucial, as it will determine Texas and other states’ representation in Congress, and it will help determine how funds are spent for schools, hospitals, roads, and more. The Census also serves to guide decisions by local businesses.

Texas is one of only a handful of states that chose not to establish a statewide “Complete Count” Committee to help with boosting awareness and motivating residents to participate in the 2020 Census. Without a state count committee, Tran adds that it’s even more important that local organizations work to ensure that all families are educated about the census.

Tran encourages all Texans to participate in the Census. She said AARP members and other older adults need to make sure they are not left out of this very important process.

Here’s how it works: Between March 12 and 20, the majority of households will receive a postcard invitation to respond online to the 2020 census. Those who don’t answer will then receive a traditional paper form in the mail. If a household still does not respond, the Census Bureau will send a census taker to knock that door to collect the household’s data.

People who live in areas that the Census Bureau has determined are most likely to lack broadband internet service will receive a traditional paper form in the first mailing.

For a preview of the online census questionnaire, watch this video.

The Census Bureau digitized the 2020 census to save money. The last census, in 2010, cost $10.2 billion, and was the most expensive in history. Taking the census online, at least partially, is projected to save an estimated $5.2 billion.

Tran said that it’s important to know that those who don’t want to take the census digitally won’t be forced to do so. “No one has to take the census online,” she said.

Census information can only be used for statistical purposes. The Census Bureau does not share information with the FBI, ICE, or local police. All Census Bureau employees take a lifetime oath to protect your information and can be fined and put in jail for violating the oath.

More can be discovered about the Census at www.aarp.org/census.