Out of Work? The U.S. Census Bureau is Hiring

The upcoming 2010 Census will create hundreds of thousands of temporary, part-time jobs across the United States. What does it take to work for the Census? The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips on how to land a job and tips everyone can use to identify legitimate Census workers and avoid being scammed.

Every ten years, the U.S. government is required to count every man, woman, and child in the country. The 2010 Census is a massive undertaking that requires the work of more than one million individuals. This means that hundreds of thousands of temporary, part-time census taker jobs will be created across the U.S. to assist with the 2010 Census. Great news to job hunters, even if its from a part-time and temporary job.

A part-time job with the Census can help pay bills while still leaving the job hunter time to look for permanent employment, said David Polino, Better Business Bureau President. For families struggling to make ends meet, these jobs the 2010 Census could not come fast enough.

Job hunters can apply for jobs with the Census Bureau now; however, most hiring will take place during the spring of 2010. Census takers usually work in their own communities, going door-to-door, conducting brief interviews with households that did not return their questionnaire mailed previously.

Census takers work approximately 20 to 40 hours per week, primarily in the evenings and on weekends and are paid weekly. Interested individuals and especially those with second language skills and flexible schedules are encouraged to review the Census Bureaus Jobs Web site

www.2010census.gov - to see if you qualify

BBB offers the following information about the 2010 Census:

How to Identify a Census Field Representative

- If a U.S. Census Bureau employee knocks on your door, here are some recognition tips to assure the validity of the field representative:

- The field representative must present an ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. The field representative may also be carrying a bag with a Census Bureau logo.

- The field representative will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the Regional Office phone number for verification, if asked.

- The field representative will provide you with a letter from the Census Bureau Director on official letterhead.

When Field Representatives will be Going Door-to-Door

- From April to July 2010, the Census Bureau will knock on the door of every household that does not mail back a completed 2010 Census form.

What the 2010 Census DOES NOT Ask

- Field representatives will never ask you for your social security number, bank account number, or credit card number.

- Census workers also never solicit for donations and will never contact you by e-mail.

Steps Job Hunters Can Take:

- Fill out the appropriate application and take it with you on the day of your testing.

- Follow up on your test results and the status of your application with the NY Census office by contacting them directly.

The Census is Safe

- The 2010 Census will ask for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and whether you own or rent your home

- Your answers are protected by law and are not shared with anyone.

- The Census Bureau safeguards all census responses to the highest security standards available.

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

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