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Highlands Today

Census Bureau Has Begun Hiring Workers

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: March 30, 2009

SEBRING - Want a good job working for the federal government? Just walk around all day and talk to people, and it pays $11 to $16 an hour.

"We've already hired 8,000 or 9,000. I can only give a guesstimate, but we will be hiring 80,000 in region," said Pamela Page-Bellis, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Census Bureau. Her region includes Florida, Alabama and Georgia.

There are nine offices in the region now, and 21 more will be opened later this year.

"We will need management staff and office staff, and each office will hire 1,000 people. We've already tested many thousands of people, who have already passed," Page-Bellis said. New jobs are posted frequently.

Canvassing workers will be seen around Highlands County on April 6, Page-Bellis said. They will be checking addresses to make sure they match, so that on Census Day - April 1, 2010 - census workers will have fewer problems.

"People should not be scared or worried," Page-Bellis said, if a census worker is seen in their neighborhood. They will carry "Census" black canvas bags and hand-held computers.

Page-Bellis suggested that applicants for door-to-door census positions should wait a month. "Call then, and we'll get you on a testing site."

Lakeland likely will be the closest office to Highlands County.

Hundreds of census workers will be needed from Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid, Page-Bellis said. "We're going be recruiting heavily."

Applicants are being tested at South Florida Community College and Heartland Workforce, said Roger Hood, president of the local jobs office. If applicants need a computer to access the census website, they can come to 2726 U.S. 27, he said.

In the future, he expects census jobs to be listed on the Heartland Workforce website.

"Hundreds of people will be hired from the Highlands County area," Page-Bellis said. "We like to hire people to work in their own neighborhoods. You know the neighborhood, the neighborhood knows you.

"It's easy. It's only the short form in 2010. It's safe, and it's very important to the community. There are $3 trillion - that's trillion with a 't' - worth of federal funding allocated, based on these census numbers, and Florida can gain two more representatives.

"We don't care if you're documented or not," Page-Bellis said. "We just want to know if you're breathing on American soil."

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
How To Apply For A Census Job

Go to www.census.gov

Click Jobs@Census OR

Click Regional Offices

Click Florida region

Click Regional Employment

Under Florida, jobs are advertised by county.

Highlands Today senior reporter Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863-386-5828

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