MONTANA – Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney, chairman of the Montana Census Complete Count Committee, today announced that the U.S. Census Bureau aims to hire thousands of Montanans by early next year to ensure every person in the state is counted during the 2020 Census.
“One of the most important civic duties Montanans will participate in next year is filling out and responding to the 2020 U.S. Census,” said Lt. Governor Cooney, chairman of the Montana Census Complete Count Committee. “Hiring Montanans for these Census jobs is a crucial part of the effort, as they’ll be the trusted voices who go door-to-door in every community across the state to make sure all Montanans are counted.”
Montana receives an estimated $2 billion in federal funds each year based on the reported Census. For every Montana resident counted, the Census estimates the state will receive $20,000 over the decade for highway planning, medical assistance, educational programs, and infrastructure. Annually, Montana’s public schools receive nearly $37 million for school breakfast and lunch programs, $50 million for Head Start programs, and $57 million for Title I and II programs. More than $440 million in federal money comes to Montana to pay for highway construction and planning. And nearly $170 million supports Medicare for Montana seniors.
The Montana Department of Labor & Industry is encouraging Montanans to visit their local Job Service Montana for more information on the application process and all future 2020 Census job openings, or residents can look for Census hiring events in their communities. Job Service employment specialists can assist job seekers looking to fill both temporary and permanent positions.
The U.S. Census Bureau continues to increase its recruiting and hiring efforts in the state in preparation for the spring 2020 field operation.
Temporary Census jobs in Montana offer competitive wages, in addition to flexible hours, paid training, weekly paychecks and mileage reimbursement for personal vehicles. Prospective employees will likely begin training for census field operations in early 2020.
Montanans interested in applying may do so online at U.S. Census Bureau or through the MontanaWorks.gov website. Learn more about how Montana is preparing for the Census at CENSUS.MT.GOV.
