Census Begins 2026 Test Recruiting Amid Hiring Worries
The U.S. Census Bureau on Oct. 6, 2025 began recruiting temporary field workers for its 2026 Census Test in parts of Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. The announcement comes as a Commerce Department inspector general audit and a withdrawn Federal Register notice raised alarms about uncertain congressional funding, delayed staffing plans, a reduced test size and plans to pilot using USPS mail carriers for interviews at two sites.
Government/Regulatory
Politics
📌 Key Facts
- Recruiting for the '2026 Census Test' begins Oct. 6, 2025 in six states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
- A Commerce Department inspector general audit warned the bureau may not be able to recruit enough workers because uncertain congressional funding and a hiring freeze delayed finalizing a staffing plan.
- The bureau withdrew a Federal Register notice that described scaling back test participants by about 30%, plans to reduce group‑living quarters coverage, and a pilot to use U.S. Postal Service mail carriers for interviews at two sites.