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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 14 March 2020
Census faces challenges as it aims to hire up to 500,000

By M. SCHNEIDER and Wilbur Ross, whose depart-
A. KASTANIS ment oversees the Census
Associated Press Bureau, testified before
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The a Senate committee last
U.S. Census Bureau said week. But he said the bu-
it has reached its goal of reau had reached out to
recruiting more than 2.6 college students, previous
million applicants for the census-takers and private
once-a-decade head companies like Walmart
count that launched for that have a large number
most of America this week of temporary workers.
— but it has been a bumpy "I feel quite comfortable
road getting there. that we will accomplish
The nation's abundance what we need to," Ross
of jobs has complicated said.
the effort, and some ru- After recruiting efforts hit
ral areas — particularly in a plateau last Decem-
New England, Appalachia ber, the Census Bureau in-
and some Rocky Mountain creased its hourly wages
states — are falling behind by around $1.50 in almost
recruitment goals as the three-quarters of U.S. coun-
agency works to hire up In this Oct. 2, 2019 file photo, Joyce Dalbey, left, with the U.S. Census Bureau, talks to attendees ties. The hourly wages now
to a half-million temporary at the Yuma Community Job & Education Fair inside the Yuma Civic Center about possible job range from $14 to almost
workers before May. Fall- opportunities with the federal agency, in Yuma, Ariz. $30 an hour, depending
ing short could threaten Associated Press on the city, with workers in
the count in some parts of ment Accountability Office County, Wyoming — home David Price, Jose Serrano, California, Chicago and
the country, which in turn said during a congressional of the Jackson Hole ski area Carolyn Maloney and Ja- the Northeast earning the
could lead to underrepre- hearing last month. — and Clayton County, mie Raskin. most.
sentation in Congress and "Recruitment and hiring Georgia, in metro Atlanta, The 2020 census started this U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley
less federal funding. success in one area may home of the world's busiest week with the online ques- of Massachusetts and Deb
An analysis by The Associ- provide little advantage to airport. In Teton County, the tionnaire going live, and it Haaland of New Mexico
ated Press shows how low an area where efforts are Census Bureau reached is supposed to end in July. told Census Bureau offi-
unemployment has affect- lagging," Mihm said. "The below 17% of its recruit- In response to coronavirus cials last month that resi-
ed the bureau's ability to census, while a national ef- ing goal as of Feb. 24. In concerns, the Census Bu- dents had applied for jobs
attract workers, with urban fort, is implemented locally Clayton County, home to reau said this week, "It has but never heard back. The
counties, especially large in communities and neigh- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta never been easier to re- two Democrats worried
ones, more likely to hit re- borhoods across the coun- International Airport, the spond on your own, wheth- that recruiting and hiring
cruitment goals than rural try." bureau had recruited more er online, over the phone or problems would lead to
areas. The bureau has yet Most of the workers will be than double its goal. by mail — all without hav- undercounting of hard-to-
to account for how hiring hired to knock on the doors Census Bureau officials in- ing to meet a census taker." count communities in their
could be affected by novel of households whose resi- sist there's no reason to be Some advocates leading districts, which both have
coronavirus concerns. The dents haven't responded worried. As of the end of census outreach efforts large numbers of minority
virus may dampen workers' by May to the census ei- February, there were more on Friday worried that the groups.
enthusiasm for going door ther online, by telephone than 22,500 temporary coronavirus would lead That concern was echoed
to door, but it could also or through the mail in what workers on the payroll, the some census takers to quit on a recent conference
create a new application is the federal government's bureau reported last week. their jobs, said Jeri Green, call the bureau hosted to
pool of workers who have largest peacetime mobili- On Thursday, more than 2020 census senior advi- answer questions about the
been laid off. zation. The Census Bureau a dozen Democratic U.S. sor for the National Urban 2020 census. Several callers
While the bureau has hopes to hire people from lawmakers from New York League. wanted to know why they
reached its recruiting goal the areas they will be work- asked the department There are at least three re- hadn't heard anything af-
nationally, hiring has var- ing in because they know overseeing the U.S. Cen- cruits for every position in ter they applied for a tem-
ied widely from place to their communities best. sus Bureau to extend the every part of the country, porary job.
place. States with popula- In Vermont, part of the period for conducting and in some parts, there The Census Bureau says the
tions concentrated in large problem is the number of the count because of the are four or five applicants, bulk of the hiring wouldn't
metro areas — Georgia, jobs. Its unemployment rate spreading coronavirus. An- Census Bureau Director start until this month. Kaile
Illinois, Maryland and Ne- was just 2.4% at the end of other group of House mem- Steven Dillingham told law- Bower, the bureau official
vada — have overrecruit- 2019. bers, as well as the agen- makers last month. who led the conference
ed. Mostly rural states with "Vermont is a rural, small cy's own inspector general, "We are not behind," Dill- call, urged callers to follow
high numbers of older resi- state, and I know we have asked for details on the ingham said. up by reaching out to their
dents — Vermont, Maine, one of the lowest unem- Census Bureau's coronavi- The census helps determine regional office.
New Hampshire and West ployment rates in the na- rus plans. the allocation of $1.5 trillion In New Mexico, the recruit-
Virginia — are well below tion," said state librarian "We are particularly con- in federal spending and ing shortfall seems most
recruitment goals. Jason Broughton, who is cerned about the impact how many congressional drastic in Hispanic commu-
If the bureau can't find chairing a committee on on hard-to-count commu- seats each state gets. For nities and Indian country,
enough applicants in those encouraging census par- nities, which the Census the first time, the bureau is Haaland said.
areas, "it may have diffi- ticipation. "That plays a Bureau has acknowledged encouraging most people "Those I would say large-
culty hiring enough staff to huge factor. A lot of people are more likely to respond to fill out their forms online. ly are rural communities
complete upcoming op- already are working two or to in-person census enu- Finding such a large, tem- where the unemployment
erations, leading to delays, three jobs, so everybody is merators, rather than to porary workforce in the cur- rate is higher, so I almost
increased costs and erod- already working." census forms completed by rent labor market had been feel like that would be a
ed data quality," J. Christo- The extremes in recruit- mail or online," said the let- a formidable challenge, great place to find peo-
pher Mihm of the Govern- ing can be found in Teton ter from Democratic Reps. U.S. Commerce Secretary ple," she said.q