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2010 Census will hire 5,000 workers in Oklahoma |
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Wednesday, 10 February 2010 |
With National Census Day less than two months away, U.S. Census Bureau officials are stepping up their efforts to recruit local residents as official census takers to work on the 2010 Census.
By LEE COLEMAN
Assistant Editor
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With National Census Day less than two months away, U.S. Census Bureau officials are stepping up their efforts to recruit local residents as official census takers to work on the 2010 Census. They will hire approximately 5,000 temporary workers in the State of Oklahoma. The pay for these positions ranges from $10 per hour to $14.25 per hour for census takers depending upon location. In addition, census workers are paid 50 cents per mile driven in the course of taking the census.
"We are making blitzes in many counties to increase local participation," said Jeronimo Gallegos, a Partnership Specialist with the Census Bureau. "We want to localize the census taking because we get a better census count."
The 2010 Census is a huge undertaking that provides temporary employment opportunities for Oklahomans interested in working on the census. Census jobs offer good pay, flexible hours and paid training while you perform an important public service. Best of all, people can work right in their own communities. All census takers must be able to speak English but there is a need for bilingual speakers too.
"We need to increase the number of people who are applying to get out our message across on why this is such an important census." added Gallegos.
This Saturday, February 13, 2010, citizens can apply for the census jobs at the Ambassador Inn from 9 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. Interested citizens are asked to bring two forms of identification and should make plans to be at the Ambassador for 1-2 hours to complete the application and take the Census test.
All census employees must take a basic skills test and pass a background check. Those eligible need to be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, and also pass the skills test and the background check. Interested persons should call the U.S. Census Bureau at 1-866-861-2010 to begin the application process.
"I've administered about 40-50 tests so far and have sent them in for the hiring process," said Richard Loughridge, the Texas County Assistant Recruiter. "I had nine take the test this morning [Monday] in Hooker."
The first census was performed in 1790 and counted 3.2 million people. In 1790, as a point of reference, President George Washington gave the first State of the Union address, the French Revolution was underway and 5.1 percent of Americans were living in "centers" of 2,500 or more people.
More than 130 million addresses throughout the nation will receive a census form in March 2010, either by mail, in person, or from an official census worker. Upon receipt, households should immediately complete and return their forms and include everyone who lives in the home.
According to the Census Bureau, all information obtained from the census questionnaire is highly confidential.
"Under Title 13 of the United States Code, this protects everyone's answers," explained Gallegos. "The information cannot be shared with anyone. No one has the right to provide that information to anyone. Anyone who violates that trust can go to jail for up to five years and be fined $250,000.
"Be assured, a citizen's answers are protected under law."
The 2010 Census is mandated by law to be completed and in the office of the President of the United States by December 31, 2010.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 15 February 2010 )
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