The U.S. Census Bureau is looking for 8,000 applicants for temporary jobs in Southeast Tennessee to support the 2020 Census. Particular need is in Hamilton, Bradley, Polk, Meigs, Rhea, Grundy and Franklin counties.

The census is underway now and more than half of households have already responded, but workers are needed to follow up with households that do not respond on their own, officials said.

The U.S. Constitution requires a count of every person living in the United States and its territories every 10 years. The information produced by the census determines how much influence each state has in the federal government; it is used in setting boundaries for local voting districts and it affects funding for local public services. Census workers ensure that everyone is counted once, only once, and in the right place, officials said. 

Most of the jobs offer flexible work hours, including opportunities for daytime, evening and weekend hours. The pay rate begins at $14/hour, plus 58 cents per mile for driving, and all positions include paid training. 

Available jobs:

• Recruiting assistants travel throughout geographic areas to visit with community-based organizations, attend promotional events and conduct other recruiting activities. 

• Census field supervisors conduct fieldwork to support and conduct on-the-job training for census takers and/or to follow-up in situations where census takers have confronted issues, such as not gaining entry to restricted areas.

• Census takers work in the field. Some field positions require employees to work during the day to see addresses on buildings. Other field positions require interviewing the public, so employees must be available to work when people are usually at home, such as in the evening and on weekends.

How to apply:

The application process is all online at www.2020Census.gov/jobs. The process should take about 30 minutes and includes assessment questions about education, work and other experience.

Applicants will be asked to provide their Social Security number, a home address, email address and phone number, and date and place of birth. 

Those who are being considered for a position will receive a telephone interview. If offered a job, they will receive instructions on next steps via email. 

Applicants will be placed in an applicant pool for 2020 Census field positions for positions they qualify for and will be contacted as work becomes available in their area. For more information, contact 1-855-JOB-2020. Applicants may also contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

For more information, visit www.2020census.gov or follow the U.S. Census Bureau on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.