Looking for a job that pays $20-$22 an hour with a flexible schedule? Try the census.
Milwaukee County still has 1,000 census taker positions to fill, but the city of Milwaukee is running out of positions to offer — and fast.
Jeanine Beasley, media coordinator for the regional Census Bureau office in Chicago, said even if people already have jobs, the census is a good way to make extra money.
"We just have to appeal to those who have flexible schedules ... or college students looking for part-time work (who) want extra cash or have summers free," she said.
What do census takers do?
Census takers will go out in May to the addresses of those who did not provide census responses online, by phone or through the mail. They are responsible for taking the information down in person.
What is the pay rate?
The pay rate in Milwaukee County is $20 to $22 per hour. By comparison, the statewide pay rate is anywhere from $17 to $24 per hour.
Who should apply?
Anyone 18 years or older can apply, including those with disabilities and noncitizen translators. There is an advantage for bilingual applicants; however, all applicants must be able to pass an English proficiency test to work as census takers.
How do you apply?
- Go to 2020census.gov/jobs
- Click on the Online Job Application
- Create an account with the Census Bureau
- Fill out the application
Make sure you have your Social Security number, mailing address, date and place of birth, and email and phone number ready.
What happens after you apply?
After the application, the Census Bureau will reach out to conduct a phone interview. If the interview goes well, a job offer could be made.
If you decline the job offer, you will be sent back to the applicant pool; declining three job offers will remove you from the applicant pool. If you accept the offer, you will need to go through a background check and fingerprinting process. After that, there will be training associated with the position you chose.
What other kinds of jobs are available?
Census taker, census field supervisor, recruiting assistant, clerk and office operations supervisor positions are available. The application works for any of these positions.
How long would you be working?
It depends on the position. Census takers could work just a couple weeks or as long as two months.
Have other questions?
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section at the Census Bureau website. You can also call (855) 562-2020 and press 3.
Contact Talis Shelbourne at (414) 223-5261 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseer and Facebook at @talisseer.
How are we doing? Fill out this survey and let us know.