Plenty of local jobs available for Census 2021

The Australian Bureau of Statistics collects a snapshot of data about residents across the country once every five years, and this year the Census will fall on August 10.

It takes an army of people to ensure the data collection runs smoothly, and that means there are plenty of short-term jobs on offer in St George and the Sutherland shire.

ABS's Census national spokesperson and executive director Andrew Henderson said there were two types of jobs on offer this year.

"The jobs available for the 2021 Census in Sydney are for field managers and field officers," he said.

"Field managers train and manage a team of up to 12 field officers in their local area of responsibility and help ensure everyone is counted in the Census.

"Field officers will visit households to remind people to complete their Census."

Mr Henderson said field manager roles can last up to six months, while field officers' spells run two to three months.

There are a host of positions to be filled in St George and the Sutherland shire.

Sutherland has 127 field officer jobs and 17 field manager positions, while Georges River is looking for 50 officers and eight managers.

Meanwhile, Fairfield has 76 field officer jobs and 10 field manager positions, Liverpool is looking for 103 officers and 13 managers, Campbelltown has 95 officer jobs, and 12 manager positions, Camden needs 53 field officers and seven field managers, and Wollondilly requires 62 field officers and eight field managers.

Mr Henderson said being multilingual was a huge attraction for Census work.

"The ABS are looking for people with a range of skills, including people who can speak a language other than English as part of the job," he said.

"We need a range of people with different experience, such as experience supervising small teams for our field manager roles.

"Previous experience isn't necessary for many of our roles.

"We're looking for motivated people who are available to work variable hours, including weekdays, weekends and evenings, and want to earn extra income in a short-term role while helping to tell their community's story."

Mr Henderson encouraged everyone looking to make a little extra money to consider putting their hat in the ring.

"People should apply for a 2021 Census field role as it is a great opportunity to earn extra income while helping to tell your community's story," he said.

"You need to submit your application online and it takes 15 minutes to apply.

"Th Census is important because it's a snapshot of who we are, and how we are changing.

"It provides a picture of the economic, social, and cultural make-up of Australia.

"It's used to inform important decisions about transport, schools, health care, infrastructure, and business.

"It also helps plan local services for individuals, families and communities."

Mr Henderson said the health and safety of all Census employees and members of the community was the "highest priority" in this COVID-affected year.

"Ahead of the 2021 Census, we have undertaken extensive planning for how we engage with the community, and how we protect staff, in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak," he said.

"We're well placed to respond.

"We're constantly monitoring health and government advice to ensure our safety measures are current and best practice.

"We will be actively adapting our approach to the circumstances prevailing in any given location."

Mr Henderson said the August Census - Australia's 18^th Census - could be filled out ahead of time this year, with households to receive instructions on what to do from early in the month.

He said residents would not have to wait to complete the survey on one single night as long as they knew where they'd be on Tuesday, August 10.

"We know people expect flexibility and convenience, so this makes it easier for people to fill in their form when it best suits them," he said.

"You can complete your Census online, but paper, or with help from us."

Learn more about Census 2021 and the jobs on offer at www.census.abs.gov.au.