In a letter to the editor, Rene Wood writes: "If we don’t have enough census workers, it’s likely everyone who needs to be counted in the 2020 Census won’t be. Each of us and our towns will lose out on our fair representation in Congress and at our Statehouse."

To the editor:

While each of us won’t be asked to fill out our 2020 U.S. Census until next year, there’s a shortage of people applying now for temporary full- or part-time Census jobs beginning in January 2020. Part of it’s the low unemployment rate, but part of the problem is not enough people knowing about these good, well-paying jobs. Go online to 2020census.gov/jobs and check it out.

If you’re looking for a part-time to full-time temporary job and want to get paid $18/hour or more, including for job training, this may be for you — great if you want a part time job after the holidays.

They’re looking to hire over 800 people in Berkshire County in a number of different jobs, including census takers, office and supervisory staff, and recruiting assistants. Apply now for the best jobs. It takes about 15 minutes and they’ll notify you online when they have processed your application. It’s currently taking 60-plus days, so the earlier you, apply the better. If you have general questions about jobs, call the 2020 Census Job Line: 1 (855) 562-2020.

Why am I writing this letter encouraging people to apply for these jobs and also to let their friends know about them no matter where those friends are in the country? If we don’t have enough census workers, it’s likely everyone who needs to be counted in the 2020 Census won’t be. Each of us and our towns will lose out on our fair representation in Congress and at our Statehouse. We’ll also lose out on our fair share of over $900 billion federal dollars distributed annually based on census numbers. So thank you for considering becoming a temporary census worker.

Rene Wood

Sheffield

The writer is a member of the Sheffield Board of Selectmen.