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 5 to 10 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.
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.
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. The U.S. Census Bureau's Seattle Regional Census Center will serve as the management location for the region's 2010 Census
operations. "Serving as the region's operational hub for all 2010 Census
activities, the regional census center will provide field management, recruiting, administrative, community outreach and automation support to local census offices and a eventual temporary staff of thousands in our five-state region," said Ralph J. Lee, regional director of the Seattle Region. The Seattle Region includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and northern California. Seattle will enumerate more than 20 million residents within a region consisting of more than 1,500 jurisdictions, 102 American Indian reservations and 201 Alaska Native villages during the 2010 Census.
To apply for a census job, call toll free 1-866-861-2010. For more information on the 2010 Census, visit <http://www.census.gov/2010census/>.