Census Workforce Campaign in Broward Continues Through September

Broward County, Florida – The SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR BROWARD – CENSUS WORKFORCE CAMPAIGN in August helped increase Broward County’s self-response rate from 58.7% to 60.4% – so the campaign has been extended into September, in hopes of increasing it further.

The initiative is a partnership with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the Broward Workshop, CareerSource, municipal chambers of commerce and local employers, large and small.  Employees, with the support of their employers, are encouraged to take 10-15 minutes during a workday in September to complete the Census, if they have not already done so.

The final day to complete the Census is September 30.

At 60.4%, Broward’s self-response rate is lagging the state and national response rates, and behind the County’s own self-response rate of 63.7% in the 2010 Census.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on outreach and education efforts that are typical in the final months of the Census. Most of those had to be canceled to eliminate large gatherings and maintain social distancing.

In addition, the door-to-door canvassing effort by national Census workers that normally helps boost self-response rates in communities with an undercount will end September 30 instead of October 31.

Final national Census results are due to the U.S. Congress by December 31, 2020.

Municipalities have stepped forward with creative and effective initiatives to help close the gap, including billboards, yard signs, doorhangers in low-response census tracts, posters in businesses, flyers accompanying food take-out and delivery orders and other means to reach those who have not yet responded.

Every percentage point of increase in the County’s response rate can mean millions of dollars in state and federal funding over the next 10 years.

Businesses large and small are encouraged to email their commitment to participate in the SHOW YOUR LOVE campaign to Census2020@broward.org.  Report your company name and number of employees pledged so you can be included in the business recognition website and in the County’s social media posts in September.

The ask is simple: Take 10-15 minutes at work today to visit my2020census.gov to complete the Census online or call 844-330-2020 to complete it over the phone.