Census in need of more workers

Local organizers worry about counting wary immigrants

The positions are parttime, with flexible hours. Most pay between $25 to $30 an hour. But organizers helping to coordinate census outreach say they are “desperate” to get more applications from workers who can help carry out the decennial count of every person living in the United States.

The U. S. Census Bureau is looking to recruit roughly 500,000 temporary employees nationwide ahead of the 2020 census this spring, including thousands in the Bay Area. Those workers will play a key role in getting to local communities who may be hard to reach, like immigrants fearful of participating in the government’s count.

But some organizers worry that the Bay Area’s strong economy and low levels of unemployment may be contributing to a smaller-than- desired applicant pool, which could make it harder to complete the census. The data collected during the count helps determine howmuch funding the federal government allocates to schools, hospitals, roads, public works projects, and how many Congressional seats each state gets.

“Ultimately I fear it could lead to an undercount because there isn’t enough staff or capacity to go around and count everyone,” said Stephanie Kim, senior director of census efforts for United Ways Bay Area, selected by the state to help coordinate census outreach across the Bay

Area. If the agency doesn’t have enough people to follow up with those who don’t respond to the census, Kim said, “then you’re not going to have a complete and accurate count.”

The Bay Area recruiting goal is 48,000 positions in nine counties. So far, organizers are 58% of the way there, according to Yolanda Lazcano, recruiting coordinator for the U. S. Census Bureau. But the numbers vary by county. Marin County has the lowest recruitment rate in the Bay Area, filling less than 40% of its goal so far. Contra Costa County has reached 76% of its goal.

“The San Francisco Bay Area is unique because it’s more affluent so a lot of people are not looking for these types of jobs,” Lozano said. “We need to get more creative in howwe attract them.”

Ten years ago, a weaker economy made it easier to attract census candidates, Lozano said.

The recruiting challenges come as organizers worry about immigrant participation in the count. In June, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from adding a controversial citizenship question to the 2020 census, but some fear the possibility of the question — coupled with the administration’s crackdowns on immigration — will scare many immigrants from participating.

“There are doubts in our communities,” said Talavou Aumavae, who leads census outreach within San Mateo County’s Pacific Islander community for the Peninsula Conf lict Resolution Center. “Within the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community, one of the biggest fears is the citizenship thing.”