Report: Census Bureau on track but having hiring delays

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A new report says the U.S. Census Bureau is on track to meet key deadlines ahead of next spring’s massive head count, but the agency faces delays in building a temporary workforce that eventually could number as many as a half-million people.

The report released Thursday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office also says the bureau still has critical work to do in making sure its information technology systems are secure and tested for the 2020 census.

The GAO says hiring for early operations has been slowed because of delays in background checks and a higher than expected rate of people who were hired but then dropped out.

The Census Bureau plans to recruit more applicants and expand the number of locations applicants can get fingerprinted for background checks.