2010 Census Bringing Jobs To Region

The U.S. Census Bureau is gearing up for the 2010 Census and it needs help to ensure everyone is counted.

Hundreds of thousands of temporary workers are needed to fill a variety of census positions across the country. Local Census Office Manager Linda Ogle said approximately 1,500 people will be hired in an eight-county region that includes Highlands.

Ogle said the hourly rate is based on the position. She said for non-supervisory positions in Highlands, it will range between $9 and $13.25 an hour.

Hours are flexible from part time hours up to 40 hours per week with evening and weekend hours as well. The mileage rate is the current government allowed 58.5 cents per mile. Hiring has begun for several positions.

2010 Census job applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number and be able to pass a background check and take an employment test that measures knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform a variety of census jobs.

Every 10 years, the Census Bureau is required by the U.S. Constitution to count each person residing in the United States - both citizens and non-citizens. This includes all 50 states, Washington, D.C., American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The census takes a snapshot of the U.S. population, determining how many people reside within the nation's borders, who they are and where they live. Data about how communities are changing are crucial to many planning decisions such as neighborhood improvements, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery, public health, education, transportation, senior services and more.

Population data collected through the census are used to allocate billions of dollars in annual federal funding for states and communities. The census also determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Conducting the census is a huge undertaking, which requires the Census Bureau to hire for a variety of positions. Census takers are needed to update address lists to ensure that all residents receive the 2010 Census questionnaire and to conduct in-person interviews with community residents who do not return a questionnaire by mail.

In addition, the Census Bureau needs crew leaders to train and supervise employees, recruiting assistants to serve as local representatives who notify their communities about census jobs in their local areas and clerks to staff Local Census Offices.

For more information on temporary employment with the Census Bureau, or to schedule an appointment to take an employment test and submit an application, call the toll-free 2010 Census Jobs Line at 1-866-861-2010. More information is also available at www.2010censusjobs.gov.