Statistics Canada hiring for census jobs across the country

Geoff Bowlby from Statistics Canada explains how people in Canada can respond to the Census and why they should fill it out.

Statistics Canada says it is still looking to hire people across the country for census jobs as it begins collecting information from households this week.

“Many jobs are available for the census still. The census is a huge endeavour,” Geoff Bowlby, assistant chief statistician for Statistics Canada, said in a recent Zoom interview with CTVNews.ca.

“We, in fact, hire well over 30,000 people to conduct the census across the country, and in some parts of the country, we still need people.”

CTVNews.ca reached out to StatCan on Monday to find out the number of positions available.

Every five years, the federal government agency collects demographic, social and economic data for the Census of Population. The information is used to plan services for employment, education, public transportation and health care, according to StatCan.

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What census jobs are available?

StatCan is looking for enumerators, which are non-supervisory positions. These workers visit households in person to gather completed questionnaires, according to StatCan.

Enumerators must work at least 20 hours per week on average, StatCan said. Most will work in the evenings and on weekends.

The agency is also seeking crew leaders to supervise assistants and enumerators. Crew leaders oversee activities related to gathering completed census questionnaires. They must work full-time, or 40 hours per week, including days, evenings and weekends.

How much do census workers get paid in Canada?

Enumerators get paid $25.87 per hour, according to StatCan. Crew leaders receive $31.32 per hour. Staff can also claim mileage, parking and other authorized expenses.

How long will the work last?

Staff are generally needed to work from May to July, though it depends on the position and location, StatCan said.

Who is eligible for census jobs?

Census workers need to be at least 18 years old to work in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island, and at least 19 in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.

They must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or hold a valid work permit. Census workers also must live in Canada with a Canadian home address.

More information on applying for a census job is available online.