From Census Bureau
May 5, 2008

The U.S. Census Bureau is already looking for job applicants to work for the 2010 Census. Peak hiring will be from February 2009 through the end of May 2010 for temporary assignments, most lasting five to ten weeks.

By working on this once-a-decade population headcount, residents have an opportunity to be a part of history. Conducted every decade since 1790, the constitutionally mandated census affects community funding and determines representation in Congress.

“The jobs, which offer competitive wages and flexible schedules, also allow people to work in their neighborhoods and for their neighborhoods,” said Marilia Matos, the Census Bureau’s associate director for field operations. “We hire locally, and an accurate count means a fair distribution of money for schools, roads, neighborhood improvements and elderly care in your community.”

In 2009, the Census Bureau will hire about 100,000 people to help update the Census Bureau’s address list. The workers will use GPS-equipped hand-held computers to verify, add and delete addresses, and they will be paid for training. By the end of the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau will have employed about 750,000 temporary workers in communities across the country. Employees will update the Census Bureau’s address list, interview people who do not respond to the census by mail and perform other assignments vital to the national count.

By 2010, there will be more than 310 million people living in an estimated 130 million households across the country and everyone must be counted in order to ensure seats are apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives and federal and state funding is distributed fairly.

The U.S. population is more diverse than ever before, with people speaking a record number of languages. As a result, in many areas the Census Bureau will need to hire people who are bilingual.

“If we do not obtain an accurate count in 2010, each person residing in the United States will be affected,” Matos said. “Everyone deserves to have a voice and be counted, and by working for the 2010 Census, you will be directly involved with ensuring that happens.”

Most positions require U.S. citizenship, a driver’s license and use of a vehicle, and each applicant will undergo a background check. A short-term job with long-term results,

2010 Census positions offer competitive wages and flexible schedules.

For more information on the 2010 Census, visit http://www.census.gov/2010census.