One year before the 2020 Census count begins, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and the U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday they will hold a job fair at Borough Hall on May 1 to help recruit workers to assist with the count.
The upcoming job fair is just one of the ways Katz and her Queens Complete Count Committee are helping to make sure the 2020 Census accurately counts Queens’ resident population. The decennial Census determines the borough’s representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as how much federal funding Queens receives for schools, infrastructure, health services and more.
“A Census undercount is something Queens simply can’t afford,” Katz said. “As the largest borough in New York and the most diverse county in the nation, we will have a lot of ground to cover once the Census begin a year from today. We’re serious about having all hands on deck to help reach every corner of every community throughout this great borough to help ensure as complete and accurate a count as possible.”
The job fair will take place on May 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Borough Hall, located at 120-55 Queens Blvd. in Kew Gardens. Representative of the U.S. Bureau will be available to answer questions Walk-ins are welcome, but participants are strongly encouraged to RSVP in advance at queensbp.org/rsvp or 718-286-2661.
“While a Census is a national event, in order to be successful, it must be conducted at the local level,” U.S. Census Bureau Regional Director Jeff Behler said. “This starts with hiring people to work in their own communities. We look forward to working with the Queens Borough leadership to ensure that together we provide easy and ample opportunities for local community members to apply to Census jobs.”
The Census Bureau is hiring for a variety of temporary jobs, including census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff and supervisory staff. The jobs in New York City pay a minimum of $25 per hour. Eligibility requirements can be found at https://2020census.gov/jobs, where applicants can apply online.
Katz also announced the appointment of 345 individuals to serve on their respective community boards. Of the 345 appointees, 77 are first-time members who have never served on a board but have demonstrated both an understanding of their community’s needs and a commitment to serving the public. The 345 appointees began their two-year terms on Monday.
“Service on a community board requires a substantial commitment of time and energy, and the borough lauds and is grateful to these civic-minded individuals,” Katz said. “These appointments were issued in direct consultation with Queens Council members. Today’s appointees have demonstrated the ability and dedication necessary to be effective community board members.”
There are 14 community boards in Queens. They play an important role in considering land use and zoning matters, contribute to the dialogue about the city budget, municipal service delivery and other matters that impact their neighborhoods.
