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Census Bureau seeks help recruiting and outreach for 2026 field test that includes Swain County
Summary
A Census Bureau representative briefed Swain County commissioners on a 2026 census test taking place in Western North Carolina and requested help distributing recruitment materials and identifying local outreach partners; starting pay for temporary positions was listed at $22.25/hour.
Miss Kristen, representing the Census Bureau, told the Swain County Board of Commissioners that the 2026 census test will be conducted in several locations nationwide and that Western North Carolina — including Swain, Cherokee, Graham, Jackson counties and the EBCI — has been selected because of characteristics that could depress response rates, notably connectivity challenges and vacancy rates.
The test will exercise the full operational cycle (recruiting and hiring, self-response, enumeration and mobile questionnaire assistance). Miss Kristen emphasized the importance of local outreach partners — churches, nonprofits, Rotary, libraries — to reach residents with low connectivity. She said the library has agreed to host a mobile questionnaire assistance (MQA) site and asked the board to help spread digital and printed materials across county offices and public locations.
Hiring is underway, Miss Kristen said, and she asked for county help promoting positions. The packet she distributed lists a starting hourly rate of $22.25 for temporary Census work. She asked commissioners for suggestions of influential local organizations and permission to post materials on county social platforms.
Commissioners agreed to help circulate flyers at departments such as the tax office and to connect the Census representative with local partners.
Provenance: Introduction at SEG 272 and concluded at SEG 372.
