Jackson Heights job fair looks to recruit 2020 census workers

A census worker visits a home. Photo via U.S. Census Bureau.

By Jonathan Sperling

A Jackson Heights job fair is looking for community members interested in doing their part to ensure that the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census accurately reflects Queen’s diversity.

The U.S. Census Bureau, in collaboration with AAFE Community Services, will host a job fair on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 as part of a critical initiative to ensure that census data is not only accurate, but also that door-to-door census workers represent the communities that it seeks to track.

“From our perspective, it’s really important for people in Jackson Heights to talk with Spanish and Chinese speakers who are from the community. When they go door to door, those are people who are trusted in the community.” Ed Litvak, a spokesperson for AAFE, told the Eagle.

Though the job fair will look to hire applicants for a variety of 2020 Census related jobs, AAFE is most concerned with those going door-to-door, officially known as census enumerators. The job offers a pay rate of $25 per hour, flexible hours and is open to non-U.S. citizens who are legally able to work.

During the job fair, representatives from the Census Bureau will be answer questions and walk applicants through the online job application process. Applicants who are bilingual in either English and Spanish or English and Chinese are especially in demand.

Litvack told the Eagle that the event often sees good turnout, attracting residents that normally wouldn’t apply online on their own.

“Not only billions of dollars at stake, but also representation in all of our neighborhoods,” Litvack said. “We don’t want to see New York suffer in representation at all levels of government because there isn’t a census response.”

The job fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the AAFE Community Center, located at 37-61 84th St.