The feds are getting ready to count every Vermonter but they've got a problem. They don't have enough people to administer the 2020 census.

The state needs to hire 1,000 people to pull off completing the census, though we're told much of it will be filled out online this year.

This all comes amid a new report outlining recruitment and cybersecurity challenges surrounding the census.

The state admits older Vermonters, people with disabilities and those who just don't trust the government will be hard to reach.

Thursday in Montpelier, state leaders stressed the census is safe and secure. But some are still concerned about sharing personal information with the government.

Just weeks ago, the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles settled a case where the agency willingly gave federal law enforcement information about undocumented workers in Vermont.

State leaders promise that they won't share personal information with police or any federal organization.

"This information will not be used against them. This information will be used to help our state. But again, I just want them to have comfort that the federal government is not going to utilize this information for anything else. We need to count everyone here," said Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vermont.

This time around, people will be able to fill out the census online, on the phone or on paper.

The census is used by both state and federal officials to assess our demographics and determine how much funding our local programs receive.

The part-time census jobs will pay $20-$22 an hour and will last until the late spring.

The census begins on April 1.